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Pelé

WORLD-RENOWNED ATHLETE

A Childhood in Poverty

29 Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the soccer phenomenon
better known as Pelé, was born in 1940. Although his
father was a minor league soccer player, the family still
lived in abject poverty. For children in Pelé’s neighborhood
there was little entertainment other than playing soccer
barefoot in the street, kicking a soccer ball made from a
rolled-up sock stuffed with rags.

Pride of Brazil

30 Pelé’s father coached him, and when Pelé was 11 years
old he joined his first soccer team. Pelé soon became a
star player. At age 15, he joined a professional team,
Santos. Then, at age 17, he made it onto Brazil’s national
squad to play in the 1958 World Cup.

31 The young star became world-famous quickly, as he
scored three goals in a 5-2 semifinal game against France,
and then two more goals in the final match against the host
country, Sweden. Brazil’s World Cup victory of 1958 was
its first ever—and Pelé was the undisputed star. Teams
from all over Europe offered him positions. Pelé continued
to play on the Brazilian pro team Santos, and for a time, he
was the highest paid athlete in the world because he made
additional money from numerous endorsement deals.

32 In 2001, Pelé, along with Argentina’s Diego Maradona,
were named by the international soccer organization FIFA
as the most important men’s players of the 20th Century.
Pelé also worked as a United Nations ambassador for
environmental issues.

phenomenon A phenomenon is someone who is very impressive
because of a special ability or wide popularity.
endorsement An endorsement deal is when a person publicly says
that he or she likes a product or service in exchange for money.

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