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Pele is the most influential soccer player up through today. (Pele on the…
Pele is the most influential soccer player up through today.
Pele's work outside of soccer
International Peace Award for all his work with UNICEF
Extraordinary Minister for Sport in Brazil.
UN Ambassador for ecology and the environment
Pele on the Field
Co-Player of the Century along with Diego Maradona. To many, his accomplishments won't ever be matched, and almost every great player that plays today get measured against Pele.
Brought the imprint of Soccer to America
Played for the New York Cosmos for two seasons after he officially came out of retirement. was then the National American Soccer League, now the MLS. Played from 74-76.
Cease Fire During Civil war in Nigeria. Played against the Green Eagles, Nigeria's national team. He scored two goals
World Cup Victories
Scored the legendary sombrero goal where he flicked the ball just over the hair of the Swedish defender
Passed out and cried uncontrollably after winning his first one at the age of 17
Won the 1962, 1970, and 1958 World Cup. Captained in 1970 and scored 4 goals. Absolutely vital in 58 in the 5-2 victories over Sweden and France. In the 62 World cup, he watched his teammates win the cup from the sidelines as he recovered from Injury.
Pele was turned to a Brazilian national treasure by Janio Quadros to make sure he didn't move to Europe to play. Made it legally difficult to leave Brazil.
Pele was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Pele is simply a nickname because the players and fans didn't know what to call someone who demonstrated impossibly new skills.
World Cup Stats
The 2018 World Cup was the most watched sporting event ever. The total viewing was around 3.572 billion viewers, roughly half the world's population. 309.7 watched in Bars. The final attracted 1.12 billion people alone, with 884.37 million watching from home and another 231.82 million watched digitally or out of home.
Soccer Stats in General
Soccer/Football is the fastest growing sport in the world, with an estimated 240 million people regularly playing what Pele called "the Beautiful Game." There are now thousands of professional level teams in every nation around the globe. First Football and National association in 1863.
Popularity has grown exponentially in the past years. Beckham record signing for LA Galaxy, and the US Women's and Men's performance at their respective World Cups.
Grew up in poverty but learned to play using a rolled up sock with rags thrown inside. He tried out for the professional club Santos at 15. Scored his first professional goal with Santos at 16 and led the league that year in goals. He was called up to the Brazilian national team and helped them win the World Cup.
Scored 1281 goals playing for Santon, the Cosmos, and Brazil. This number is the highest career goal count till this day. Nobody has even come close.
Pele's work against Racism
First black superstar and virtually carried Brazil to the 1958 World Cup Final.
Joined the National team with other African Brazilians
Brazilian history cannot be seen without football, same with America and Baseball. It quickly became a fad with newly liberated slaves when it was introduced in Sao Paulo from Europe. Laws much like Jim Crow held back players of African descent, which left elites questioning the introduction of them to the professional level. Racial composition was quickly expanded when they were destroyed by European powers. Brazil's sportswriters credited him with completing the task of abolition.
Counter Arguments
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andres Messi is an Argentinian soccer player born in Rosario, Argentina. Messi is known as one of the greatest players of all time if not the greatest of all time. Messi began his professional career at the age of 17, scoring his first team goal for F.C. Barcelona, one of the most respected clubs in all of Europe.
He is a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, or player of the year. He leads La Liga and Barcelona for most goals scored of all time. Messi is nicknamed the Flea, he is very small in terms of soccer players, coming in at 5 ft 7 in. His low center of gravity helps him have incredible balance with fast and skilled ball control.
Zinedine Zidane
Considered one of the best contemporary players of all time, Won the 1998 World Cup, won the world footballer of the year 4 times, and joined his former club Real Madrid as a coach where he won the UEFA Champions League three years in a row from 2016-2018. Controversially headbutted Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano is an absolute machine; he trains constantly and is easily one of the best players to ever touch a soccer ball. With his 6 years in Manchester, he carried United to three Premier League titles and a champions league victory. He was sold to Real Madrid in 2010 for over a quarter of a billion dollars, where he won countless trophies, including four champions league final victories, three of which came with Zinedine Zidane in 2016-2018, in 2019 he was sold to Juventes.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo Assis de Moreira was an attacking forward who played for elite clubs such as Paris Saint Germain and F.C. Barcelona. He won the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and was named European footballer of the year. In 2006 he helped carry Barcelona to a champions league final where they beat an invincible Arsenal side 2-1. He is incredibly known for his warm smile and sunny personality, and he had a rare combination of speed and technique.