King Pelé is dead. The only football player to have been crowned world champion three times, with the Brazilian Seleçao. Also the star player of the Santos club, with whom he signed when he was only 15 years old. But Pelé even represents much more than all that for the Brazilians, he is their legend.
For Brazilians, talking by Peleis to talk about emotions. ” I have goose bumps. Pelé is football. He was born ahead of his time. Pelé is not a footballer of his time, he is a current player. Pelé was an athlete at a time when footballers were just soccer players “recalls Rodrigo interviewed by our correspondent in Rio de Janeiro, Sarah Cozzolino.
The latter has never seen Pelé play, but his father transmitted his passion to him. According to this football fan, he is the best player in the world. ” You can ask a historian, he will tell you that it is Pelé. You can ask a statistician, he’ll tell you it’s Pelé. It’s unanimous, and those who don’t agree don’t know anything about football. »
The football prodigy won three World Cups with the Seleçao, in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Luiz watched all the videos of his idol’s best goals. ” For me, he is a God, he is far above. He can be surpassed in numbers: Mbappé has already done that by scoring more goals at the same age. But in beauty, it is impossible. Pelé was magic “, he assures with emotion. Several generations of Brazilians have been influenced by King Pelé. Fifty years after ending his career, he still remains the reference for all football enthusiasts.
At the Santos football stadium, where Pelé played for 18 years, a golden crown was projected onto a giant screen, in tribute to the greatest footballer of all time. The older supporters had tears in their eyes, reports our special correspondent in Santos, Martin Bernard. They all remember Pelé’s exploits on the pitch, and feel like they’ve lost a part of their own lives.
Pelé unites even at the political level
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declared a three-day mourning in honor of the legend. Tributes are also raining on the political side. Jair Bolsonaro pointed out that Pelé “ carried the name of Brazil around the world “. Future President Lula, who will be sworn in on January 1, 2023, said he had the privilege of seeing Pelé play in football stadiums, a ” real show ” according to him.
Eu tive o privilégio que os brasileiros mais jovens não tiveram: eu vi o Pelé jogar, ao vivo, no Pacaembu e Morumbi. Jogar, não. Eu vi o Pelé dar show. Porque quando pegava na bola ele semper fazia algo especial, que muitas vezes acabava em gol.
?: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/YQs3K119t9
—Lula (@LulaOficial) December 29, 2022
In tense political situation, with the approach of the transfer of power between two presidents that everything opposes, Pelé nevertheless ends up bringing the Brazilians together. This may be his last victory.
►Also read: From Neymar to Mbappé, from Lula to Macron, tributes from around the world to the “King” of football