PELE. The King of Football...

July 16, 1950 is considered one of the most tragic days in the history of the Brazilian national team. It was then that far from the pentacampions for the first time in their history reached the final of the world championship. A tournament on the fields of their native country, the support of 170,000 spectators in the Moroccan and a great team led by Ademir and Zezinho - it would seem that nothing can stop the Brazilians from striving to get the coveted gold. However, fate decreed otherwise - the equally stellar Uruguay turned out to be stronger, and two goals in the second half plunged the multi-million nation into tears. Among the sobbing was João Ramos do Nascimento, whose son, nine-year-old Edson, promised his father that day: “I will win the World Cup for you.” In today's story, I will tell you the story of the legendary Pele - one of the greatest players of all time, the only three-time world champion, and the first King of Football.

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The life of Edson Arantis do Nascimento from early childhood was filled and saturated with football. The player's father, Dandinho, played at a professional level in the past, so he taught his son all the intricacies of the game. In addition, in addition to many courtyard battles, Pele was lucky to get into the academy of the Bauru club, where he grew up and trained under the guidance of former Brazilian national team player Voldemar de Brito. mini-football played an equally important role in the formation of young Edson. Performing in the hall not only helped the future legend to improve his skills, but also allowed him to constantly play against mature footballers. However, the puny and short PELE was not at all shy of such players, and simply amazed with his talent, regularly scoring in various tournaments.

Rumors about a new diamond quickly spread throughout the state of São Paulo, so Santos decided not to hesitate - de Brito organized a viewing for Pele at a status club, and the verdict of the Fish coaching staff was unambiguous - the signing of the contract. At the time of the agreement, the Brazilian was only 15 years old, but even then he looked like a completely ready player. Actually, a few months after moving to Santos, Edson made his adult football debut. It's hard to believe, but in the very first match against Carinthians, the young striker scored a goal, becoming part of a real performance performed by FISH, in which defeated the opponent with a score of 7: 1.

Many Brazilian experts and fans were in anticipation of something great, and the feeling did not let them down. From the beginning of 1957, Pele became more than just the main player of Santos, he began to hammer balls with an amazing frequency. At the end of the season, the young genius's track record was 41 goals in 38 matches, and the prize for the top scorer of the Paulista State Championship was in his hands. Considering the fantastic performance of the 16-year-old striker Fish, the call to the Brazilian national team was not long in coming. And in the very first fight with the principled Argentina, Edson managed to score, and he still remains the youngest goal-scorer in the history of Salizao,which hammer a goal in national team. But despite such spectacular first steps in football, on the eve of the 1958 World Cup, a serious discussion erupted over the candidacy of Pele. Some believed that the not strong youth boy could not withstand the moral pressure of a big tournament, while others, on the contrary, were convinced of the need to call the bombardier of Santos.

The importance of the World Cup in Sweden for the Brazilians could hardly be overestimated, because 8 years before that they knew the national grief, losing to Uruguay, and in the previous championship they were eliminated in the quarterfinals in game with amazing Hungary. Salisao's preparation was so serious that a psychologist worked with the players, whose presence was considered savagery for those times. The verdict of this specialist in Pele was disappointing - he recognized the striker as infantile and lacking a sense of responsibility. Fortunately for the player, coach Vicente Feola had a different opinion. But the first 2 fights against Austria and England Edson still missed due to injury. The match of the 3rd round between Brazil and the USSR was decisive, the losing team risked leaving the tournament even before the end of the group stage. But despite the status of the fight, coach Salisao listened to the experienced players, and included two newcomers in command structure - Pele and Garincha, whom the psychologist mentioned above called as an idiot. As a result, the couple staged a performance from the first minutes of the game, and the Brazilian national team confidently won with a score of 2: 0. And although in that meeting Edson managed to made only an assist, his debut goal at the World Cup was not long in coming. In the quarterfinals, the Brazilians met with the Welsh, and in a tense game everything was decided by the only scored goal, the author of which was the Santos forward.

“Yes, you can talk a lot about the goals in the final, but the most important thing for me was the effective kick against Wales. If it had not been for that scored goal, we would not have played in the final, and the hearts of all Brazilians would have been broken again, ”Pele said. The semi-final with France should be the decoration of the entire tournament, but in the end it turned out to be a real benefit only for Salizao, and especially for Edson. Following a tense first half, the Brazilian prodigy scored three times after halftime to set an impressive final 5-2 for the South American team. Surprisingly, the final match against the home team of Sweden ended with exactly the same score. Brazilians again performed brilliantly, 17-year-old Pele scored twice. Moreover, the first goal of the legend is considered to be one of the most famous in his career. Being in the penalty area, he threw a football projectile over the defender, and without letting the ball drop to the ground, he hammered it into the net.

Moreover, in this case, it is worth noting not only the colossal importance of scoring, but the technique, skill, and especially the sporting audacity with which the young player dealt with his opponents. After the final whistle, Pele could not hold back tears of joy. He fulfilled his promise. “When the King of Sweden came down from the stands and shook hands with us, it flashed through my head:“ Does my father know about this while in Brazil? It is a pity that he does not see how I play at the World Championship, ”the King of Football recalled in the future.

Edson performed equally brilliantly at the Copa America in the following calendar year. Yes, even if the Brazilians did not win the trophy, the Santos forward became the first scorer, scoring 8 times, and was also recognized as the best player in the tournament. Pele's performance at the club level was no less impressive. Over the next 4 years, he managed to score more than 200 goals, so he approached the 1962 World Championship in phenomenal form, and in the unofficial status of "the strongest player on the planet." Actually, the very first World Cup duel against Mexico not only ended with a confident victory for Salisao, but also fully confirmed the credentials of the King of Football. He gave an assist to Mario Zagallo, after which he single-handedly created a real masterpiece. On the way to the opponent's goal, the brilliant Brazilian passed 4 opponents and left no chance for the goalkeeper. However, instead of continuing with the play, Edson's solo performance was interrupted. In the next match with Czechoslovakia, the striker was injured, and did not appear on the field until the end of the tournament.

In the absence of the main star, Garincha took over the leadership, and in the end Brazil was still able to defend the world title.

Nevertheless, according to the rules of those times, only those players who played in the final meeting received gold medals, so Pele was left without a well-deserved reward. Of course, this seemed like a huge injustice to such a fantastic player. But time has put everything in its place: already at the beginning of the 21st century, FIFA President Joseph Blatter, under pressure from the public, and in tribute to the Brazilian, changed the rules. After the fact, all players who did not receive this honor during their careers received medals, including Edson, who officially became the only three-time world champion. Pele fully compensated for his personal failure at the World Cup at the club level. From the end of the 50s, the Brazilian Cup began to be held, where Santos quickly went on the frontline position, as in the state championship. Moreover, from 1961 to 1965, PISCES invariably won this tournament, and the king of football, of course, shone stronger than the rest. The Brazilian grand was no less successful in the Copa Libertadores in the year of the World Championship on the fields of Chile. Edson and his partners won the first continental trophy in Santos history and defended the championship the following season. In addition, thanks to those victories, Pisces twice participated in the Intercontinental Cup, which they won both times. And Pele once again showed his geniusitonaity to the whole world. This was expected from him and his partners at the 1966 World Cup, where they went like the main contenders for victory. Edson himself, after a short participation in the previous forum, was particularly determined to prove his status as the "King of Football".

But instead of an easy exit from the group, Salisao was in for a real failure. After the starting victory over Bulgaria, the Brazilians lost to Hungary and Portugal, so they left the tournament even before the play-off stage. Pele himself, although he scored in the opening meeting, missed the second due to injury, and did not perform too brightly in the third. Although, in fairness, it is worth noting that a real hunt was open for the King of Football at the World Cup. And sometimes the referees had to punish the offenders of the star more severely. "I will no longer play at the World Championships!" - the Brazilian declared on emotions after the meeting with the Portuguese. Fortunately, he changed his mind. Edson returned to the official team match in 1969, and scored 6 goals in 6 qualifying matches for the next world forum. In very same team, compared to the previous tournament, there were significant changes, but PELE remained the key attacking link. The Brazilians won the first place in their quartet in one breath. Czechoslovakia and Romania were beaten without any problems, and the victorious match with the British became a real football classic at all due to the amazing of the games of stars in the group of teams. Tune in the group stage Edson scored as many as 3 times. In the victorious quarterfinals against Peru, he gave an assist to Tosto, and in the semi-final against the Uruguayans - to Rivelino. And it was especially important for Salisao to take revenge. In the final, the Brazilians met with Italy, and the King of Football issued another masterpiece match. Besides the first goal scored, he assisted partners, including twice during the legendary goal of Carlos Alberto, when the national team played a magnificent combination from their own half of the field.

“Before the game, I was convinced myself that Pele was made of leather and bone, like everyone else, I proved to be wrong,” stated the famous Italian defender Tarcisio Bournich, whom the short Brazilian jumped during the first goal time. It was in such subtleties that Edson's true greatness lay. Physical strength was harmoniously combined with graceful technique, a wonderful kick with legs complementing incredible jumping ability, the crown of all qualities of a forward was the deepest understanding of the game. Needless to say - Pele was an absolute footballer. On that great victory, the Brazilian's playing path in the national team almost came to an end, and such a vivid result looked like just a perfect goodbye.

Actually, the club career of the King of Football was gradually moving towards completion. In the process of 4 years after the end of the World Cup, he largely achieved his own scoring records, vid already managed to win all possible trophies in Brazil. A separate milestone in Pele's history is his media presence. It was Edson who was the first brand player whom every person who was at least somehow connected with football knew by sight. After a poor and difficult childhood, the Brazilian fully enjoyed his status. He was familiar with international celebrities, considered a welcome guest on a events not even related to football.. Actually, all of the above aspects caused the king of football to move to the United States. Of course, in American football, even at an honorable age, he was much stronger than other players, but his main mission was in a different. Pele became a kind of catalyst for the development of football in North America, and made an enormous contribution to the popularization of the game in the vastness of this country. After completing his career, Edson had not only many trophies and achievements, but also an incredible number of goals. According to the estimates of the Brazilian himself, who takes into account friendly matches, the number of goals scored by him approached the 1300 mark, but still official sources provide other figures: 712 matches and 750 effective strikes. But whatever it was, even the huge number of heads does not convey the importance of Pele in world history. The Brazilian became not just a legend and one of the best players of all time, but much stronger than any football player influenced the minds of people. His actions on the football field made millions fall in love with the sport and pass these feelings on to their descendants. That is why Edson Arantis do Nascimento will always remain the first and only king of football.