Pele, who died at the age of 82, was a sports superstar and cultural icon
For most Brazilians, Pele was a cultural and social phenomenon. He was the country's statesman without office, a role he had played since the age of 17. He usually held quiet political positions, if any.
Born into poverty in a small town in southeastern Brazil, South America's first multi-millionaire soccer player has appeared in advertisements for petrol, toothpaste, sugarcane drink, bicycles, soda, soccer shoes and Viagra, among other products.
His former assistant Bebeto Fornos said: “Pele always knew where he was. If it was an encounter with Queen Elizabeth, Pope John Paul II, Bono Fox or just a kid he met in the street, everyone treated him with respect. He was the same boy from the country, but when he shared the table With people, it was soon the center.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known worldwide as Pele, died on Thursday in a Sao Paulo hospital. Throughout his career and thereafter, he walked a fine line between being famous and facing social problems.
He founded a charitable organization that bears his name and is dedicated to helping children. He became a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations. However, he has not publicly devoted much time to activism for any particular cause. Pele, Brazil's first modern black national hero, has rarely spoken about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to be descended from the white minority.
Pele best goals
When Pele scored what is considered to be the 1,000th goal of his career in 1969, he pleaded with the authorities to "take care of the little children". He was not blamed for their misfortune.
Pele said in a 2021 documentary that he felt pressure from President Emilio Medici to play in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico and did so even though he had wanted to leave the national team after Brazil's poor performance in 1966.
However, the superstar stunned the world for the last time on the sport's biggest stage. Brazil's third World Cup title and Pele's came when the Medici were torturing their opponents, shutting down Congress, and putting an end to the country's supreme court.
Pele and every other Brazilian player received a Volkswagen from an ally of the dictator when they arrived from Mexico. None of the footballers refused the gift, but the star player was heavily criticized for his hero status.
Pele retired from the national team in 1971, left his boyhood club Santos three years later and moved to the United States to play for the New York Cosmos after being lured by then-USA. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. During those years he spoke about love and concern for children and stopping wars.
The Brazilian ended his professional football career in 1977 and returned to his country soon after, with the return of democracy.