On Thursday, the man who made football a fine art, linked his name to the globalization of sports and a career as an all-around star passed away, scoring 77 goals in 92 international games. At the age of 82, Pelé passed away after several days of hospitalization at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo due to complications from colon cancer. He gave his last fight, like all the previous ones, with a smile: “I will meet this fight with great optimism and joy, to live surrounded by the love of my family and friends,” he said about a year ago when he had surgery to remove a tumor. .

Born on October 23, 1940 in Tres Corasos (Three Hearts) in southwestern Brazil, Enjon Arantes do Nascimento, as his full name was, was known from the age of 10 as the son of footballer Dondinho. A child from a poor family, he was forced from a very early age to make a living with his wooden suitcase, cleaning the shoes of passers-by.

The year 1950 will be marked by the Brazilians. A defeat in the final match of the World Cup against Uruguay will devastate Brazil. This is the last match of the final group of the competition (at that time the system provided for a new group consisting of the first four teams from the four groups of the first stage), and in the “selesao” there is enough draw for the crowning.

This is a time when football is clearly becoming closer to society, and the defeat of a football team turns into a national drama. 10-year-old Pele is living through the days of grief of his compatriots and his family. And he promises his devastated father that he will bring home the first trophy for his country.

In 1956, Pele will go from Santos to Villa Belmiro and stand out from the first moment. In Santos, he would remain “locked up” as a “national treasure” until 1974 and, in fact, would make his name more famous with the national team he was called up to in 1958, before he turned 18.

His first international game will be on 7 July 1957 at the Maracanã (1-2 loss to Argentina), but there he will score his first goal at the age of 16 years and nine months.

In 1958 in Sweden at the 6th World Cup in Brazil, Jalma Santos, Zito, Bellini, Nilton Santos, De Carvalho, Zilmar, Garrincha, Didi, Vava, Zagallo will score five goals in the final against Sweden, and Pelé will become a national symbol. .

Glory is not given in vain and then the 18-year-old Brazilian will become the starting point for Selesao, taking a huge burden on his shoulders.

In 1962 in Chile, Pelé would come out of Game 2 with a bruise, but he would leave the world speechless with his goal against Mexico years later, in 1986, scored by Maradona against England. Brazil, even with this loss, has quality. She will beat Czechoslovakia and become world champion again.

He breathed his last at the age of 82. He scored 77 goals in 92 international games.

In two years, tanks will take to the streets of Brazil, and General Branco will take Rio. The dictatorship reigns, the regime “places” him next to him, and he travels more on business off the field than on football.

In 1966, there will be a fiasco for England at the World Cup. Brazil will be on the podium, not football, Pelé will be posing for photos, and a bitter elimination will come from the group stage. “Black Diamond”, disappointed by the accident and the very tough assessments of the opponents, will announce that they will no longer participate in the World Championship.

In his country, a few days after his thousandth goal, in 1969 (19.11), the harsh dictator Medici will invite the best football player to the presidential palace. Pele will give a “gift” and again receive harsh criticism. Some will call him a coward, others a publicist. In a few months, the Brazilian ace will again be training with Selesao.

Many will say that the Medici convinced him in his own way. Pele himself will say that he wants to make amends for the “crash” of the 66th.

In Mexico in 1970, under Mario Zagallo, who took over from Joao Saldanha, days before the center and team were in the midst of major turmoil, Pelé led what was arguably the best Brazil of all time to advance to yet another final where he crushed Italy 4-1. Brazil did not lose and became the world champion for the third time.

And the legend of Pele will only get bigger, as almost the entire planet will enjoy his exploits on TV rather than hearsay.

And the most paradoxical? Two of his missed chances were to be remembered so far, perhaps more so than his goals: one in the save of the century, as described when Banks scored the greatest moment of all time with a header against England, and also in the semi-final against Uruguay: when Tostao passed to an unmarked Pelé who was flying high into the box, Mazurkiewicz attempted to clear the ball. The Brazilian missed the ball between himself and the obviously confused goalkeeper of the opponent. He then took possession of the ball, which went far to the right, but his shot attempt went wide of the post a few inches from the post. The goal was not scored, but the stage went down in history.

The picture after the final whistle of the West German referee Rudy Glöckner is characteristic: the Italians rush to the locker room, and the crowd will pour onto the field to hug the Brazilians. All Italians except one. Roberto Rosato, who runs to Pele. He pushes anyone in front of him and hits the Brazilian. Something is calling him. Pele takes off his shirt and gives it to him…

After the 1974 season (19th with Santos), Pelé signed with the World of New York at the age of 35, and in 1977 hung up his shoes and now continued to travel to promote companies and credit cards.

Although he never competed in Europe, he managed to become an absolute legend in the racing arena. Mainly due to what he achieved at the world championships. Mainly because he did things that we saw many years later with players like Cruyff, Maradona, Zidane, Rivaldo, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo. From his stride, his speed, his high football IQ, to his unparalleled technique, his incredible strength, his jump.

They talked about him

• My name is Ronald Reagan and I am the President of the United States of America. But you don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pele is.
  Ronald Reagan
• I may be the new Di Stefano, but not the new Pele. This is something that goes beyond the reasonable.
  Johan Cruyff
• When God created Pele, he gave him everything that a football player needs. He knew how to shoot, how to dribble, how to use his head. Technically, tactically, physically, morally, he was the best.
  Zico
• There is a male Pele and a player Pele. And to play like Pele means to play like God.
  Michel Platini
• Pele called me “the best footballer in the world”. This is the highest rating for me”
  George Best
• It will take 100 years for
  to have a new Pele.
  Didi
• Pele was a football phenomenon. Genius. Those who want to compare him to others are… idiots.
  Ferenc Puskas
• Now Messi is at the top, his time has come. However, the greatest player of all time is Pele. If you were to use the word “perfection”, Pele almost achieved it.
  Franz Beckenbauer
• Sometimes it seems to me that football was invented
  for this magical player.
  Bobby Charlton
• Pele was one of the few who opposed my theory: instead of 15 minutes
  fame, will have 15 centuries.
  Andy Warhole