New Delhi. Pele, who calls himself the Beethoven of football, had such a charm in his fun that the world fell in love with this beautiful game. Pele brought a new identity on the football map to a country like Brazil facing corruption, military coups and oppressive governments. If playing football is an art, then there is probably no other artist in the world bigger than him. Three World Cup titles, 784 recognized goals and an inspiration to football fans around the world, Pele left behind a great saga of achievements. Although he had scored more than 1200 goals but FIFA has recognized only 784.
One of the first global sporting superstars, Pele’s popularity was not bound by geographical boundaries. Edson Arantes do Nascimento i.e. Pele was born in 1940. He was one of the pioneers in taking the popularity of football to its peak and creating a huge market for it. Such was his popularity that when he came to Kolkata in 1977, it was as if the entire city had come to a standstill. He also visited India in 2015 and 2018. Seventeen-year-old Pele, however, changed Brazil’s image in his very first World Cup in 1958. He scored six goals in four matches in the tournament played in Sweden, two of which were in the final.
He beat Brazil on 5. 2 and started a long run of success. Listed by FIFA as one of the greatest players of all time, Pele was also a favorite of politicians. Before the World Cup 1970 he was seen on stage with President Emilio Garastazu Medici, one of the most ruthless members of Brazil’s most authoritarian government. Brazil won that World Cup which was also Pele’s third World Cup. In the midst of Brazil’s tangled politics, a black player from the middle class burst onto the world football scene. Such was his popularity that during the Nigerian Civil War in the 1960s, a 48-hour truce was held between the warring factions so that he could watch a Pele match in Lagos. He also came to Kolkata on the invitation of Mohun Bagan in 1977 on the Cosmos tour of Asia. They played football for about half an hour at Eden Gardens, which was watched by 80,000 spectators. After that match Mohun Bagan’s fortunes changed and the team returned to winning ways.
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After that he came to Kolkata for the last time in 2018 and the craze for him was the same. On Pele’s 80th birthday, Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, said, “You never played in the Olympics, but you are an Olympian because throughout your career you imbibed the values of the Olympics”. Who is the greatest among Pele, Maradona and now Lionel Messi? Diego Maradona said goodbye to the world two years ago and Messi fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup two weeks ago. Players like Pele don’t die, they become immortal. The impression of his game never fades. Goodbye King.
