REST IN PEACE LEGEND

 

Image Credit- The New York Times

Pele. It's not just a name. It's an emotion. His heroics on and off the field cannot be discussed in a single blogpost. But still. 

The greatest player of all time, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, played professional football for Brazil. Throughout the 20th century, he was one of the most successful and well-liked sports figures. He was named the International Olympic Committee's Athlete of the Century in 1999, and Times named him one of the 100 most influential individuals of the 20th century. Pelé was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award in 2000 and was chosen by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) as the World Player of the Century. Including friendly, he scored 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, setting a Guinness World Record. Furthermore, Pele is also the player with most World Cup trophies (3) under his belt. 

Throughout his career, Pelé scored nearly one goal per game and was skilled at striking the ball with either foot in addition to reading the movements of his opponents. Although he was primarily a striker, he had the ability to drop deep and assume a playmaking role. He would use his vision and passing prowess to provide assists, as well as his dribbling abilities to elude defenders. He was revered as a national hero in Brazil for both his football prowess and his vocal advocacy for measures that would better the socioeconomic conditions of the underprivileged. Inspiration stemmed from his rise to fame at the 1958 World Cup, where he became the first black sporting icon on a global scale. 

Rest in Peace Legend. You will always be missed.