Pelé

Born

1940 · Três Corações, Brazil

Roots

Black Brazilian

Family

Poverty

His father was a semi-professional footballer whose career ended with injury; the family lived in poverty in Bauru.

Education

Left school early; worked as a shoeshine boy

Started with

A sock ball

Couldn't afford a football; practiced with a sock stuffed with newspaper.

Affiliations & societies

None documented.

Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

1. 1956 · age 15
   Santos tryout

   Brought by a former teammate of his father; scores in his first match.

2. 1958 · age 17
   World Cup champion

   Youngest scorer in a final; Brazil's first title.

3. 1961 · age 20
   Declared a national treasure

   Brazil's government blocks his transfer abroad.

4. 1969 · age 29
   1,000th goal

   At the Maracanã; dedicates it to Brazil's poor children.

5. 1970 · age 29
   Third World Cup

   The only player with three titles.

6. 1975 · age 34
   New York Cosmos$2.8M/yr

   Reported as the world's highest-paid athlete at the time.

7. 2000 · age 60
   FIFA Player of the Century

   Shared with Maradona.