Arantes do Nascimento , also known as Pele or Edson , had been battling cancer since November . Christmas was spent with him while he was still in the hospital due to a worsening health condition . On 30th December 2022, he passed away at the age of 82. Joe Fraga, his agent, confirms his death .
A Brazilian professional footballer known mononymously as Pelé, Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born on 23 October 1940 and died on 29 December 2022. Among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century, he was regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Among the 100 most important people of the 20th century, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. A joint winner of the FIFA Player of the Century award in 2000, Pelé was named World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). Guinness World Records recognize his 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendlies.
Short Bio
| Real Name | Edson Arantes do Nascimento |
| Profession | (Retired) Professional Footballer , Humanitarian |
| Nickname | The Black Pearl , Dico , Pele |
| Date of Birth | October 23, 1940 |
| Age (at the time of death) | 82 Years |
| Birthplace | TrĂȘs CoraçÔes , Minas Gerais , Brazil |
| Date of Death | 29 December 2022 |
| Place of Death | Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, SĂŁo Paulo, State of SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil |
| Death Cause | Cancer |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Hometown | TrĂȘs CoraçÔes, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| School | NA |
| Alma Mater | Did Not Attend |
| Educational Qualification | NA |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Ethnicity | Afro-Brazilian |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Hobbies | Fishing, Writing Songs, Cooking, Playing the Guitar |
| Controversy | Before FIFA World Cup 2014, Pele said that corruption had nothing to do with World Cup and people should stop protesting for a better country. As a matter of fact, he even said that Brazilians were ruining the World Cup. |
Early Life
On 23rd October 1940, Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born in TrĂȘs CoraçÔes, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho (born JoĂŁo Ramos do Nascimento) and Celeste Arantes. Among two siblings, he was the elder and was named after American inventor Thomas Edison.
Due to a mistake on the birth certificate, many documents listed his name as “Edison”, not “Edson”, as his parents wanted. His family originally nicknamed him “Dico.”. However, it is said that he received the nickname “PelĂ©” during his school days because he mispronounced the name of his favorite player, Vasco da Gama goalkeeper BilĂ©.
According to PelĂ©’s autobiography, neither he nor his friends understood what the name meant. Apart from the assertion that it is derived from BilĂ©, and that it is Hebrew for miracle (exaltation) , the word in Portuguese has no meaning.
Career
PelĂ© was born in a poor family in the Bauru region of SĂŁo Paulo. As a servant in tea shops, he earned extra money. As he couldn’t afford a proper football, he played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with string or a grapefruit. During his youth, he played for several amateur teams, including Sete de Setembro, Canto do Rio, SĂŁo Paulinho, and AmĂ©riquinha. Two So Paulo state youth championships were won by Bauru Athletic Club juniors (coached by Waldemar de Brito). During his mid-teens, he played indoor football for Radium. PelĂ© started playing indoor football in Bauru just as it was becoming popular. In the region, he participated in the first futsal (indoor football) competition. Several championships were won by PelĂ© and his team.
PelĂ© said futsal (indoor football) presented a number of challenges, including being a lot faster than football on grass, and requiring players to think faster since they are close together. PelĂ© credits futsal for helping him think better on the spot. In addition, futsal allowed him to play with adults when he was about 14 years old. In one of the tournaments he participated in, he was initially considered too young to play, but eventually went on to end up top scorer with 14 or 15 goals. “That gave me a lot of confidence”, PelĂ© said, “I knew then not to be afraid of whatever might come”.
Physical Stats
| Height | 5â 8â |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
Family & Childrens
During his lifetime, Pelé was married three times and had several affairs, fathering at least seven children.
PelĂ© married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966. The couple had three children: Kelly Cristina (born 13 January 1967), Jennifer (born 1978), and Edson (“Edinho”, b. 27 August 1970). In 1982, the couple divorced. Edinho was sentenced to 33 years in prison in May 2014 for laundering drug money. The sentence was reduced to 12 years and 10 months on appeal.
From 1981 to 1986, Pelé was romantically linked to TV presenter Xuxa, who helped launch her career. When they started dating, she was 17 years old. Pelé married psychologist Assaria Lemos Seixas in April 1994. Sims Joshua and Celeste were born on 28 September 1996 through fertility treatments. In 2008, the couple divorced.
At least two more children were born to Pelé as a result of affairs. Pelé refused to submit to DNA tests for Sandra Machado, who was born from an affair he had in 1964 with a housemaid. Ultimately, Pelé relented after a DNA test proved she was his daughter. In 2006, Sandra Machado died of cancer.
In 2010, Pelé announced his intention to marry 41-year-old Marcia Aoki, a Japanese-Brazilian importer of medical equipment from Penåpolis, So Paulo, whom he had been dating since 2010. The couple met in the mid-1980s in New York, then met again in 2008. They were married in July 2016.
” Some Famous Sportsperson Tweets and Tribute to Pele “
- Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Leo Messi
3. Neymar Jr
4. Kylian Mbappé
5. Robert Lewandowski
Some Important FAQs
- Pele was named after American inventor Thomas Edison.
- In his Youth, he played for many amateur soccer teams and learned the game from his father. In the absence of money to buy a football, he used to stuff newspapers inside socks and play with them.
- A member of Bauru Athletic Club juniors, he led his team to three consecutive titles between 1954 and 1956.
- As a child, he played indoor tournaments that helped him improve his game. Due to the small pitches and the large number of players, indoor tournaments taught him to make quick decisions.
- To this day, no player has scored more goals for Santos in the Campeonato Paulista (the top-flight league in Brazil) than he did in 1958.
Images : Pelé
