Pele: Brazilian Soccer Legend and Three-Time World Cup Winner Dies at 82

Pele was a Brazilian soccer player widely considered one of the greatest of all time and the only player to win three World Cups. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, in Tres Coracoes, Minas Gerais, he was nicknamed O Rei, the King.

Pele won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, at age 17, in 1962 and in 1970. He scored 77 goals in 92 matches for Brazil and 643 goals in 659 games for Santos, where he played from 1956 to 1974. He then joined the New York Cosmos from 1975 to 1977 and helped popularize soccer in the United States. He was named IOC Athlete of the Century in 1999 and FIFA Player of the Century in 2000, sharing the latter with Diego Maradona.

Pele was married three times and had seven children. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021. He died in Sao Paulo on December 29, 2022, at age 82, of multiple organ failure caused by the cancer. He was buried in Santos. Remembered for his joy and his brilliance, he made soccer a global game.

Achievements: World Cup winner (1958, 1962, 1970), 643 goals for Santos, played for the New York Cosmos (1975-1977), IOC Athlete of the Century (1999).

Birth: October 23, 1940 - Tres Coracoes, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Profession: Soccer forward.

Interesting Facts: He is the youngest World Cup winner, at 17. His Guinness record counts 1,279 career goals, including exhibition matches.