Former Brazilian professional footballer Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his stage name Pelé, was a forward. He was among the most successful and well-liked sports stars of the 20th century and was regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, even being named “the greatest” by FIFA.
Pele, who is regarded as one of the all-time great players, is the only person to have won the World Cup three times, having led Brazil to victories in the 1958, 1962, and 1970 competitions. At the 1970 tournament, he also took home the Golden Ball for best player.
The first of those saw the then-17-year-old become the youngest player to play in a men’s World Cup, however, Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland later surpassed his mark.
He is believed to have scored 1,283 goals in 1,363 senior matches for clubs and the nation during the course of a 21-year playing career, albeit that statistic is disputed because it included friendlies and tour games that weren’t officially sanctioned.
However, it is undeniable that he guided Santos, his lone significant Brazilian team, to six Campeonato Brasileiro Série A titles, two Copa Libertadores triumphs, two Intercontinental Cups, and one Intercontinental Supercup. After that, he relocated to the United States to play for the New York Cosmos, where he contributed to their victory in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1977. During this time, he was also named to the NASL all-star squad three times.