In Hawaiian lore, the goddess of volcanoes and fire – the creator of the islands themselves – is called Pele.
In soccer lore, the god of the beautiful game – the master of some of the finest goals ever scored – was also called Pele.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) scored 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil, winning the World Cup in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
It’s seen as a huge achievement in soccer if a player manages to play at three World Cups, let alone win three. It was a result of his performances at the FIFA World Cup that earned him the nickname O Rei – The King.
Full disclosure – I’m a child of the nineties, growing up in awe of Zidane, Ronaldo (El Fenomeno), and Luis Figo, among others.
So, I never saw Pele at the height of his powers, and to me, growing up, he was the football player that my dad compared the crop of the day to. Zidane might have been good, my dad would likely say, but he was nothing on Pele!
Thanks to YouTube, some of Pele’s goals and displays of football ingenuity have been preserved and passed down through the generations.
After learning of his passing a few days ago, I gleefully spent hours on YouTube watching some of the GOAT’s most iconic moments in the famous golden jersey of Brazil.
What struck me the most when watching footage of Pele from the 1950s and 1960s was the state of the pitches he played on.
Pele executed his wizardry on football pitches that resembled farmer’s fields – the bobble of the ball in the footage being a tell-tale sign of just how difficult it was to keep under his spell.
It’s frightening to think about how graceful Pele would have been on today’s carpet-like football pitches, where even the slightest bump or smallest patch of mud is criticized by players and coaches alike.
Something else that I love about Pele is his loyalty to Santos. Pele could have (quite literally) walked into any football team on the planet, but he spent his entire career playing (barring a brief stint at the New York Cosmos) for Santos, the team that he adored.
Frankly, this says a lot about Pele, a man who was known to be humble beyond belief, generous, friendly, and good-spirited. After hanging up his boots, he served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and worked to eliminate corruption in sports in his native Brazil.
Truly, his legacy is difficult to put into words, thanks to his achievements on and off the field. While many in the present day are drawn into the Messi v Ronaldo GOAT debate, it’s a fruitless discussion.
Pele was the greatest football player of all time, and only Diego Maradona came close to pinching his crown after his exploits in the 1970s and 1980s with the Argentina national team.
So, to honor the great man, spend some time on YouTube watching some footage from his incredible career. I guarantee, you won’t be disappointed.