Table of Biography
Pele is a popular and professional former Brazilian football player. Pele was one of the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century as well as regarded as one of the greatest football players of all.
Early Life and Childhood
Pele was born on October 23, 1940, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. His age is 82 years old as of 2022 and his full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
Similarly, he is a naturalized Brazilian citizen and belongs to the Afro-Brazilian ethnicity. Moreover, he is Catholic by religion and his birth sign is Scorpio. He was born to Fluminense footballer Dondinho (father) and a housewife Celeste Arantes (mother).
He had two siblings brother Zeca Nascimento and a sister Maria Lucia Nascimento and he was the elder among them. Moreover, he was named after the talented American inventor Thomas Edison. He was given the nickname “Pele” during his school days, due to his pronunciation of the name of his favorite player.
Education
Regarding his educational background, there is no information available on the web regarding his schools, colleges, and academics. He might have done his schooling at a community school in Gerais. Later, he might have skipped college as he started to play football at an early age to pursue his professional career.
Pele – Net Worth 2023
Pele is a popular former footballer from Brazil who has earned a considerable income from his work. His estimated net worth is around $100 million and his annual salary is $3M and his source of income is mainly his football profession. However, his monthly and weekly wages are unknown. Additionally, he has worked very hard since his childhood to achieve this fame.
Career and Professional Life
Pele started his career joining club Santos at the age of 15 and joining the Brazil national team at the age of 16. In July 1957 he played his first international game which was against Argentina. Even though Brazil lost the match by 2-1, he scored his first international goal, which made him the youngest player ever to score in international football.
In addition, he is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, with 77 goals in 92 games. With 643 goals in 659 games for Santos, he is the club’s all-time leading scorer. Similarly, he led Santos to the Copa Libertadores in 1962 and 1963, as well as the Intercontinental Cup in 1962 and 1963.
In 1969, at the Maracana Stadium, he scored his 1000th goal against Vasco da Gama from a penalty kick. Moreover, he was the only player to win three FIFA World Cups during his international career, in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
The 1970 World Cup was the final World Cup he participated. Brazil won the World Cup naming him “Player of the Tournament” for his performance and significant contribution. Similarly, his last international match was on July 18, 1971, against Yugoslavia in Rio de Janeiro. Before retiring, the 1974 season was the 19th and last season that he played for his club Santos.
Furthermore, he was UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 1995, and in 1999, he was named “Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee. Similarly, he was named World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics in 2000. He was also named FIFA Player of the Century in 2000.
Caption: Pele playing a football match. Source: Instagram
More about his career
In addition, his 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendlies, is a Guinness World Record. Additionally, he was a worldwide ambassador for football and did numerous acting and commercial ventures since retiring in 1977. Further, he was honored as president of the New York Cosmos in 2010.
Also, he is regarded as a national hero in Brazil for his football accomplishments as well as his outspoken support for policies that improve the social conditions of the poor people.
Moreover, throughout his career and after retiring, he received numerous individual and team awards for his on-field performance, record-breaking achievements, and legacy in the sport.
Brand Endorsements
Aside from his earnings from football, he is also associated with endorsing brands such as Puma, Hublot, Volkswagen, Subway, Emirates, Santander, etc. Moreover, he appeared in several commercials which have contributed to his net worth.
Achievements
He received numerous individual and team awards for his on-field performance, record-breaking achievements, and legacy in the sport. He received the first FIFA Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur in January 2014 as an acknowledgment from the sport’s world governing body for his contributions to the game. Moreover, in 1995, he was also awarded Brazil’s gold medal for outstanding services to sport.
Later, he also received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh in 2012 for his significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes, as well as his sporting accomplishments. Furthermore, he also shared FIFA Player of the Century in December 2000 with Maradona. In addition, he also received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
Caption: Pele getting an award. Source: Sport Bible
Relationship Status
He has been married three times and has had many affairs, all of which have resulted in multiple children. He married Rosemary Cholbi on February 21, 1966. They had two daughters and one son: Kelly Cristina, Jennifer, and their son Edson but they divorced in 1982. Additionally, he was also romantically linked with TV presenter Xuxa from 1981 to 1986.
Furthermore, he married psychologist and gospel singer Assyria in April 1994, and she gave birth to twins Joshua and Celeste on September 28, 1996. However, in 2008, they got divorced. In addition, he had at least two more children from previous relationships.
Sandra Machado, who was born from his affair with a housemaid, Anizia Machado, in 1964, and daughters Octavio and Gabriel, who died in 2006. Similarly, he also had another daughter, Flavia Kurtz, from an extramarital affair with journalist Lenita Kurtz in 1968.
Later, he announced his intention to marry Marcia Aoki, a 41-year-old Japanese-Brazilian importer of medical equipment from Pentapolis, whom he had been dating since 2010. They first met in New York in the mid-1980s and reconnected in 2008 and they got married on July 9, 2016.
Caption: Pele with his wife. Source: The Sun
Scandal
He has always been concerned with his professional life. However, he hasn’t been associated with any rumors or controversies that would hamper his football career. Also, he avoids the media and avoids engaging in contentious behavior or situations that can damage his reputation.
Health Issues
Talking about his recent health, the Football legend is in Albert Einstein Hospital and is undergoing treatment for colon cancer. His health is improving and is conscious without any new complications.
He posted on Instagram, saying, ” I want to keep everyone calm and positive thinking. I am strong and hopeful. Thank you for everything. I will follow my treatment as usual.”
Furthermore, he has been suffering from health problems in recent years and was diagnosed with colon cancer in September 2021. It is reported that he spent two weeks in the hospital last December.
Body Measurements
Talking about his height he is 5 Feet 8 inches tall and weighs 70kg. Moreover, he has beautiful black eyes and hair and his shoe size is 9.5(US). Similarly, he has a good physique that measures 38-32-37. Also, he follows a solid workout and diet plan and a balanced lifestyle to maintain his body measurements.
Pele – Social Media
He is very popular on social media and his fans love him for the positive influence he has on them. He is active on Instagram has 16M followers on Instagram and owns an Insta account @pele. Similarly, his Twitter handle is @pele with 3.2M followers. His Facebook account is @Pele and has 9.9M followers.