Legendary Brazilian footballer, Pelé, died on the 29th December, 2022, after a long battle with cancer.

The famous footballer passed on while surrounded by family and had said goodbye to his family shortly before he breathed his last.

Here are 7 facts about the late football icon, Pelé:

  1. He got the nickname Pelé when he was a young boy and had trouble pronouncing the name of his favorite player, a goalkeeper named Bilé who played with his father at a local club.
  2. The late Brazilian striker holds a Guinness World record of scoring a total of 1,283 goals in 1363 matches. In a career that spanned over 21 years, Pelé registered this number of goals across all competitions including friendlies as well.
  3. Aged 15, Pelé made his debut for Santos on 7th September 1956, scoring one goal in a 7–1 friendly victory over Corinthians de Santo André. In 1957, at the age of 16, Pelé became the top scorer in the league.
  4. He won three World Cups, two World Club Championships and nine Sao Paulo State Championships.
  5. He was voted athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1999. 
  6. At 17, Pelé became the youngest ever winner of a World Cup. He also scored twice in the final against home side Sweden.
  7. On 19th November 1969, Pelé scored his 1000th career goal. Hundreds raced onto the pitch to mob the Brazilian star and it took over 30 minutes for the game to resume.

Story: Ene Ken-Yawe

Media: @Pelé/Instagram

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