"I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music."(International football hall of fame.com) These words are from Edison Arantes do Nascimento, otherwise known as Pele. He is considered the greatest soccer player who ever lived and has had a huge impact on the soccer world. Is a former Brazilian football player playing for Santos FC for nineteen seasons and scoring his 1000th goal, also playing for the New York cosmos, and helping Brazil to three world cup victories, rated by many as the greatest footballer of all time His great skills are not the only reason he is a hero, though, he is also very kind and generous. Pele was born in Três Corações, Brazil he was the son of a fluminense footballer dondinho (born João Ramos do Nascimento) Maria Celeste Arantes. He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison, and was originally nicknamed dico by his family. He did not receive the nickname Pele until his school days.( http://ezinearticles.com/?Biography-of-Pele-,-the-Greatest-Soccer-Player-Ever-!&id=188269) In 1954 waldemar de brito who played the 1934 world cup in Italy saw Pele play and told him “you’re going to be the best in the world” and he proved it. At the age of 15 and a half, he joined Santos FC junior team. He played for a season before joining the senior team.




In 1956, de brito took Pele to Santos, an industrial and port city in Sao Paulo, to try out for a professional club, and told the directors that he would be the greatest football player ever. Pele made his debut for Santos in September 7, 1956. He scored one goal in a victory over Corinthians. When the 1957 season started he was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of just 16, became the top scorer in the league. Ten months after signing up professionally he made the Brazilian National Team. After that European clubs offered him a lot of money to play for their clubs. But the government of Brazil declared him an “official national treasure” to stop him from being transferred out of the country. November 1969 Pele scored his 1000th goal in all competitions and after 19 great seasons with Santos he made his retirement on Brazilian club football. (http://soccer-europe.com/Biographies/Pele.html)


Pele went to play for the New York cosmos of the North American soccer league making the incredible move to the United States. He led the cosmos to the 1977 (NASL) championship, which would be his last year playing soccer. October 1, 1977, Pele closed out his legendary career in an exhibition match between the cosmos and Santos which was televised throughout the world. He played the first half with the cosmos and the second half with Santos. After the game which Santos lost 2-1 to the cosmos, the cosmos retired his number 10 jersey and was embraced by the Cosmos players, during his long celebration he went to tell one of the players of the cosmos to pass him the American flag and the same thing to one of the players of Santos to pass him the Brazilian flag and waves both of them while running on the field.
(http://www.frontfoot.co.za/pelefull.php?qr=pelebio)