Lew Freedman - Pelé

A Biography

Lew Freedman

Copyright 2014 by ABC-CLIO, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Freedman, Lew.

Pel : a biography / Lew Freedman.

pages cm. (Greenwood biographies)

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-4408-2980-2 (hardback) ISBN 978-1-4408-2981-9 (ebook) (print) 1. Pel, 1940 2. Soccer playersBrazilBiography. I. Title.

GV942.7.P42F74 2014

796.334092dc23

[B] 2013027228

ISBN: 978-1-4408-2980-2
EISBN: 978-1-4408-2981-9

18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5

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In the 1970s, when soccer great Pel came to the United States to play for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League, American newspaper readers and television watchers were informed that he was the best-known person in the world.

Since soccer was not considered a major sport in the country at that timeindeed, one of the main reasons the Brazilian luminary chose to come out of retirementthe somewhat egocentric American public had trouble believing or understanding that claim.

But it was undoubtedly true. What the American audience failed to comprehend was the grip soccer had on the rest of the world. Throughout South and Central America, Europe and Africa, soccer was king. Soccer was not only the most important sport in most of the nations on earth, it was also deeply entwined in the fabric of the cultures of most of those countries.

As the best player in the world, and indisputably the best of all time, Pel transcended national boundaries. He was a human deity to any soccer-following country on the planet. The president of the United States may have been the most powerful man on earth, but Pel was recognized by peasants in deserts and tribesmen in jungles.

For many of the poor of the earth, soccer was the only game. It was so inexpensive to play that even those that lived in impoverished communities or countries could rustle up a ball, or a facsimile of a ball, something made by themselves that was suitable to kick around.

Pel was such a special player that even those not invested or well-educated in the sport could pick him out of a scrum anonymously. His skills shone that brightly. If fans knew of his personal history, rising from poor circumstances himself, they could identify with it. And for those of black skin, for those of minority status, resentful of previous white colonialism, it did not hurt any that Pel was also dark-skinned.

Over the decades, from the time Pel made his debut as a teenager on the world scene by representing his country in the World Cup of 1958, Pels stature and status steadily grew, and his fame did so commensurately as well. He was the only man in the history of the sport to score 1,000 goalsa figure that denoted him as being at least part-magician.

In addition, the Pel who showed himself to the Brazilian people and the world at large was gracious and engaging. He signed autographs endlessly. He smiled enthusiastically in triumph and was humble in defeat. He gave of himself and sought to set an example as a great man, as well as a great player, without ever stating so explicitly.

The player known as Pel was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, though outside of signature requirements on legal documents, his use of that full and more cumbersome name long ago fell into disuse. Pel became Pel as a youth, and the origin of the name continues to baffle him. It was as if a new name was needed to apply to someone demonstrating impossibly new skills.

In Brazil, Pel was not only acclaimed as a national hero for bringing so much honor to his home country through its favorite sport, but was proclaimed a national treasure, as if he were a concrete monument built in the heart of the country.

Through salary and endorsements, at one time, Pel was also the richest athlete in the world. Yet, like some of his sporting contemporaries, he was taken advantage of and keenly felt the loss of many of his assets. He had the fortitude to start over and rebuild and long after playing his final game for Brazil in 1971, he remains a wildly popular figure and very much a national treasure.

The entirety of Pels soccer involvement from his youth until his early 30s was built around competing for the national team in the biggest matches and for his Brazilian club team. Many times, Pel fielded offers to play for wealthy clubs in other countries, but always turned them down to remain affiliated with Santos, the only club of his prime years.