Brazil World Cup winner and football legend, Pele passes away:
Pelé:
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, was a legendary player in Brazilian football. He died at the age of 82. He is considered by many as one of the greatest footballers of all time. His contributions to Brazil’s three World Cup triumphs in 1958, 1962, and 1970 cannot be overstated. With 77 goals in 92 games, he continues to lead the Brazil national team in scoring. He retired from Santos in 1974 but a year later made a surprise comeback by signing a lucrative deal to join the New York Cosmos in the then nascent North American Soccer League.
December 2022 Current Affairs Quiz
Career of Pele:
- In a glorious 21-year career he scored between 1,281 and 1,283 goals, depending on how matches are counted. Pele, though, transcended soccer, like no player before or since, and he became one of the first global icons of the 20th century.
- Pele was recognised as a “national treasure” by the Brazilian government in addition to being named “Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee and co-“Football Player of the Century” by FIFA.
- In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
- In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century.