When we look back on the history of world football, there is a pantheon of great players that we must consider which has re-imagined the relationship between football fans and players. Pelé is one of the greatest magicians that modern football has produced. The impact of Pelé’s death is immense because he is one of the icons of football. In the modern game, Pelé is synonymous with technical intelligence and virtuosity.
Biography
Edison do Nascimento Arantes, known to the world as Pelé, was born on October 23, 1940. He played most of his career with the Brazilian team, Santos, before joining the New York Cosmos to the the delight of American football fans. He won three World Cups with the national Brazilian team and became a legend and icon with his performance at the 1958 World Cup. He was named Centenary Player in 1999 and was a world-wide ambassador for football and humanitarian efforts. In order to pay tribute to this man, we will, dear reader, take the time to introduce you to the man behind this quote: “The more difficult the victory, the greater happiness in winning.” And this second quote appears as an aphorism stating a reality that describes well the small victories in life but it appears as a philosophy of football : “A penalty is a cowardly way to score.”
Although football is not a philosophy, the world of football has entered the common global vernacular with the great help of Pelé’s international greatness and popularity taking it to the level of the world’s most popular sport. In addition to that, there is also a political dimension that is often associated with football. Clearly, it must be recognized that this sport is a unifying force during the World Cup with international football competitions able to transcend both border and language barriers.
Bibliography and webography
- Pelé Ma vie de footballeur (story), Globes 2014
- https://www.biography.com/athlete/pele
- Pelé, Ma vie et ce jeu merveilleux, Robert Laffont, 1978.
- Jacques Vendroux, Football Lovers Paperback 2016
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