Soccer Celebrates 75 Years of Pele

On the eve of his birthday, the Brazilian legend finds his health improved on earlier this year.
Messi and Ronaldo might be battling it out for the best player of their generation, but for many, the greatest footballer of all time remains beyond question: Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele.

And as the Brazilian superstar turns 75 years old on Friday, the man named O Rei in his home country recovers from ill health that has concerned his global legions of fans.

In July, Pele was feared to be fighting for his life after back surgery in the Albert Einstein hospital of Sao Paulo. Yet when he emerged days later ,with his partner Marcia Cibele Aoki, the former pro looked fighting fit.

FIFA’s co-Player of the Century’s sporting achievements are astounding, including three World Cup wins in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and scoring 1,281 goals in 1,365 games. He netted one of his most beautiful goals at the age of 18 in 1959 in a 4-2 victory over Juventus: slipping past three defenders tapping the ball up, dodging round the keeper to touch.

The former Santos player enjoyed a rivalry with Argentine “crack” Diego Maradona, and accused the “hand of God” of being a bad example to children for his drug use. Maradona called Pele a “museum relic” instead of a soccer icon.

Even after his retirement aged 36 in 1977, with an impressible smile and good humor Pele never left the limelight. The legend earned millions with a second career in advertisements, “but never for alcoholic drinks, politics, religion or tobacco,” he said.