SUCCESS IS NO ACCIDENT
On this day, 29 December 2022, Edson Arantes do Nascimento (born 23 October 1940), better known by his nickname Pelé, passed on after being diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021. Pelé was a Brazilian professional footballer who was widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Pelé was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which included friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record.
In his time, Pelé was probably the most famous and possibly the best-paid athlete in the world. He was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cup championships – in 1958, 1962, and 1970. After the 1958 World Cup, Pelé was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government in order to ward off large offers from European clubs and ensure that he would remain in Brazil. On 19 November 1969, in his 909th first-class match, he scored his 1,000th goal.
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 and Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century, alongside Diego Maradona.
Presenting Pelé with the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, the late South African President Nelson Mandela
