1. Pele was given the name Edson Arantes do Nascimento when he was born on October 23, 1940 in Três Corais, which is located in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
2. Pele is revered throughout Brazil as a legendary figure and was given the honorific “O Rei,” which translates to “The King.”
3. In October of 1969, he became the first player in the history of football to reach the milestone of one thousand (1000) goals scored in a professional career.
4. Pele is the only player to have ever won the World Cup three times, and he is also the all-time highest goalscorer in the World Cup with 12 goals to his name. Pele won the World Cup in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
5. In 1997, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Brazilian Football Museum, and in 1998, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
6. In 1999, he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.
7. Throughout his career, Pele was also active in a number of humanitarian and charity causes, including the establishment of the Pele Sports Academy, which provides assistance to disadvantaged children living in Brazil.
8. Pele was honored with the title of UNESCO Champion for Sport in April 1994 due to his extraordinary dedication to promoting sports and assisting children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
9. Pele has not only had a good career as a football player, but he has also had a successful career as an actor. He has acted in a number of films and television shows.
10. Pele kicked off his professional career in 1956 with Santos FC, where he remained a player until his retirement in 1974.
11. He was honored as the South American Footballer of the Year in 1958, 1962, and 1970, as well as the World Cup’s best young player in 1958 and the tournament’s best player in 1970. In addition, he won the award for the World Cup’s best player in 1970.
12. Pele was recognized and honored for his various accomplishments and services to the sport of football with a number of trophies and honors, including the Ballon d’Or and the Golden Boot.
13. Pele had seven children from his three marriages
14. Pele scored his first goal for Brazil in his very first appearance for the national team, which was a friendly match against Argentina in July 1957. Pele’s goal was the first of his incredible career.
15. He amassed a total of 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil, making him the team’s all-time best scorer.
16. In 1956, while he was only 15 years old, he made his debut in the professional league playing for Santos FC.
17. Pele was famous for his speed on the field.
18. Pele represented Brazil at the World Cup on four separate occasions: in 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970.
19. In Mexico in 1970, he set a record for most assists in a single World Cup with six.
20. Pele scored 92 hat tricks across both official and unofficial competitions during his career.
