At the age of 82, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known as the immortal Pelé, died.
The opposing team scored the first goal, and Pelé picked up the ball from the net and slowly walked back to the center, encouraging his teammates. He scored five goals that day.
In his autobiography, which I read a few years ago, Pelé reflected on the first time he saw his father cry:
“[I saw my father crying], and I asked him, ‘Why are you crying?’
His father answered: ‘Brazil lost the World Cup.’
Pele replied: ‘I’m going to win one World Cup for you, don’t worry.’”
The book details Pele’s journey from one of the millions of Brazilian kids who entertain themselves through futebol to one who entertained the world through futebol.
In 1950, Brazil hosted the World Cup, and the 200,000 spectators at the Maracanã Stadium expected them to keep the trophy home, but Uruguay was able to triumph in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in soccer history. In the early 50s, Pelé rises from the ashes of a town in São Paulo and walks the national team through three World Cup titles in 1958, 1962, and the remarkable undefeated 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
Pelé is far more than an athletic legend. Pelé is part of Brazil’s political, social, and cultural history. He is the unforgettable face of the very nation and the magnum opus of Brazilian identity.
Criticized, vilified, loved, and admired, Pelé was unmistakably the greatest futebol player ever. This is even evident when people ask Brazilians who the greatest soccer player is. No one begins a sentence stating the obvious, but they begin stating the exception: “Well, after Pelé, X is my favorite.” Pelé cannot even be put in the same category as modern players. Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Maradona all deserve honor and respect, but none of them can claim three world cups, over 1,100 goals in their careers, and the inimitable prestige of being identified as the very essence of the sport.
What is left now–in the absence of his genius presence– is to set the stage for a new era of futebol. Pelé gave the sport its brilliance and popularity. And how poetic that the King of Futebol (Rei do Futebol) died as over five billion people witnessed the ultimate triumph of Argentina’s new king, Lionel Messi. Long live o jogo bonito!
Dorme em Paz, Pelé!
