Doha: They called him ‘The King of football’, and his face is one of the most recognisable in world football. Pele, who was once named by FIFA as the greatest player of the 20th century. The legendary Brazilian passed away on Thursday as the world mourns the loss of the 'greatest football player ever'.
Pele’s star was already in the ascendancy at the age of just 17, when he celebrated his first FIFA World Cup title with Brazil in Sweden on 29 June 1958. He still holds the record as the youngest world champion of all time.
Although the striker featured in the South American team’s squad as they defended their title in 1962, he missed most of the tournament due to injury. Pele’s immense talent was on full display once again in 1970 as he led his team to their next triumph, making him the only player ever to have won three World Cups.
World Cup records
Pele is the youngest scorer, youngest hat-trick scorer, youngest finalist and youngest player to score in a Final in World Cup history.
Gunnar Gren, who competed against Brazil in the 1958 decider, made his Sweden debut before Pele was born. Never has such an age gap – 20 years – existed between opponents in a World Cup Final.
Uwe Seeler, Pele, Miroslav Klose, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the only men to score at four or more World Cups. The West German pipped the Brazilian to become the first to do so by less than three minutes in 1970.
Vava, Pele, Paul Breitner, Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbappé are the only players to have scored in two World Cup Finals.
Pele registered six assists at Mexico 1970 – a record for one World Cup. Four players managed five: Robert Gadocha at Germany 1974, Pierre Littbarski at Spain 1982, Diego Maradona at Mexico 1986 and Thomas Hassler at USA 1994. Pele also recorded an unprecedented three assists in deciders: one against Sweden in 1958 and two against Italy in 1970.
Tributes to 'The King'
The flags of all nations were lowered to half-mast at the headquarters of world football's governing body FIFA on Friday in honour of the game's "eternal king" Pele.
"Flags at the home of FIFA in Zurich are flying at half-mast today, as we remember the eternal king: Pele," the organisation said on Twitter.
On a misty winter's day in northern Switzerland, the flag of FIFA, as well as flags from the regional football confederations, were lowered outside the governing body's headquarters.
FIFA has 211 member associations and their flags, Brazil's included, were at half-mast lining the football pitch next to the building on the edge of Zurich.
Top flight football matches in England, Spain, Italy, France will all honour Pele before each match in the upcoming round of games, it was announced yesterday.
"In tribute to Pele, Premier League clubs will remember his contribution to football by holding a minute's applause prior to kick-offs," said a statement on the English Premier League's Twitter feed.
"Players and match officials will wear black armbands."
A similar announcement was made by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
Serie A action returns after its winter break on Wednesday where a minute's silence will be observed for the Brazilian legend.
Games in France's Ligue 1 will be preceded by a minute's applause while a photo of Pele with the World Cup is shown on the big screens in the stadiums.
In Spain, La Liga announced that a minute of silence would be observed before each match this weekend.
Did you know…?
- It was Pele who coined football’s universally-used nickname ‘O jogo bonito’, or ‘The Beautiful Game’. He also dubbed Brazil’s Mexico 1970 champions ‘The Beautiful Team’, which also stuck.
- Pele’s presence drew mind-blowing crowds to matches, seduced Muhammad Ali, Peter Frampton, Jagger, Elton John, Diane Keaton, Henry Kissinger, Robert Redford, Rod Stewart and Barbra Streisand into being Cosmos fans, and coaxed Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto and Giorgio Chinaglia to the Big Apple, where he inspired the club to the Soccer Bowl for his swan song.
- Four days before turning 80, Pele released Acredita No Véio (Listen to the Old Man), a track recorded with 2019 Grammy winners Rodrigo y Gabriela. Pele loved music all his life and composed hundreds of tracks from the early 1960s onwards. He famously carried a voice recorder with him everywhere because “a song can come into your head at any time – even at a World Cup”.
- In 1970, Pele was named the most famous person on the planet ahead of John Lennon, Pope Paul VI, Paul McCartney, Muhammad Ali, Paul Newman, Queen Elizabeth II, Neil Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne and Barbra Streisand.
