Pele footballer: Edson Arantes do Nascimento

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or Pelé as the football world would worship him, wrote history with his FIFA World Cup accomplishments. Pele , Brazilian football (soccer) player , in his time probably the most famous and possibly the best-paid athlete in the world. He was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cup championships (1958, 1962, and 1970). Learn more about Pele ’s life and career. Pele Biography Pele is the most iconic footballer of the Twentieth Century. He epitomised the flair, joy and passion the Brazilians bought to the game. “I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music.” – Pele Early life Pele was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on 23 October 1940 in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison (his parents removed the i). In his childhood, he gained a nickname ‘ Pele ’ – after he ... The world of football has lost its king with the news that the great Pele passed away at the age of 82.