Pele’s final exit

Brazilian football legend Pele’s final exit, arguably the greatest player ever, has died at the age of 82. One of the game’s first global personalities, Pele layered his brilliance across a career spanning from a teenager with Santos to a money-spinner at New York Cosmos. Wherever football is played, the name of Pele will be synonymous with it. He is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country. The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele was named FIFA’s Player of the Century in 2000. Pele had made his debut for club side Santos two years earlier at the age of 15, scoring in a 7-1 win over Corinthians de Santo Andre. It was the first of 643 goals he would score for the club in official competitions over 19 years although it is claimed that the total is more than 1,000 exhibition matches that he played against reputable and high-profile European football teams. He finished his club career as part of a star-studded New York Cosmos side, playing alongside German legend Franz Beckenbauer and fellow 1970 World Cup winner Carlos Alberto. TW

More Information