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Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born on October 23, 1940. He was photographed here at the Olympic stadium in Barcelona on September 2, 2017. Credit: Xavi Torrent/Getty Images
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Pelé, wearing his Santos jersey, smiles before playing a friendly match against the French club "Racing", on June 13, 1961. Credit: AFP via Getty Images
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Pelé is the son of another soccer player, João Ramos do Nascimento, known as "Dondinho".
In this photo, Pelé dribbles past a defender during a friendly match between Malmoe and Brazil on May 8, 1960. His team won 7-1.
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I fought with her mother Celeste Arantes in March 1965. Credit: AP
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Pelé, at 17, cries on the shoulder of goalkeeper Gylmar Dos Santos Neves (right) after Brazil's 5-2 victory over Sweden in the World Cup final on June 29, 1958. Credit: PA
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The Brazilian soccer team poses before the World Cup final in Stockholm on June 29, 1958. Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 to win their first World Cup.
Credit: AP
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Friendly match between Brazil and Atlético de Madrid on June 21, 1966 at the Santagio Bernabeu stadium before the World Cup.
Credit: AFP via Getty Images
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His nicknames are "Pérola Negra" (Black Pearl), "O Rei" (The King) and "Dico".
Credit: Lemyr Marvins/Getty Images
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Pelé with his teammates as he arrived in the UK for the 1966 FIFA World Cup on June 25, 1966. Credit: Len Trievnor/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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July 1966: Despite his disappointment, Pelé congratulates the Portugal team after beating Brazil 3-1 in the 1966 World Cup. Credit: Central Press / Getty Images
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He started playing soccer professionally at the age of 15.
His position was center forward, his jersey number was 10, and he played for the Santos Soccer Club from 1956 to 1974. Credit: AP
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Pelé hugs Mario Zagallo after the latter's appointment as coach of the Brazilian soccer team, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on March 19, 1970. Credit: AP
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Pelé celebrates with his teammates as he holds the FIFA Jules Rimet Cup after Brazil's 4-1 victory over Italy at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 21, 1970. Credit: AP
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With this victory at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico, Pelé became the first player to win three World Cups.
Credit: AP
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Pelé makes the victory sign on December 20, 1971 during a press conference in Paris.
Credit: AFP via Getty Images
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Pelé, surrounded by a large crowd on March 30, 1971 on the Champs Elysees in Paris.
Credit: STAFF/AFP via Getty Images
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In 1975 Pelé signed a contract to play for the New York Cosmos.
In the photo the Brazilian plays against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 19, 1977. Credit: AP / Jim Bourdier
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Pelé walks onto the field before a crowd of 73,669 at Giants Stadium in New Jersey on August 25, 1977. Credit: AP/Ray Stubblebine
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Pele, center, with other former Santos players, pose next to the Libertadores trophy during the team's centenary celebration in Santos, Brazil, April 14, 2012. Credit: AP/Nelson Antoine
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Pelé poses in the new "Friends Arena" in Solna, near Stockholm, during a meeting with former players of the Brazilian and Swedish national teams on August 14, 2012. Credit: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images
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Queen Elizabeth II, on a tour of South America, smiles after giving Pelé a drink in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 10, 1968. At left is Prince Felipe.
Credit: AP
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Pelé appears with Johnny Carson on the "Tonight Show" on May 9, 1973. Credit: AP / Allen Green
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May 8, 1973: Pelé holds a ball that he autographed for US President Richard Nixon.
Credit: AP/Henry Burroughs
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Pelé during an interview at Rockefeller Plaza in New York in July 1975, when he was a player for the Cosmos.
Credit: AP/Suzanne Vlamis
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Artist Andy Warhol, left, takes a photograph of Pelé to paint a portrait of the soccer player, on July 27, 1977 in New York.
Credit: AP/Claudia Larson
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Pelé with Pope John Paul II during a private audience at the Vatican on March 18, 1987. Credit: AP / Arturo Arturo Mari
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Pelé along with presenter Maria das Graças Meneghel (known as Xuxa) during the 36th edition of the Cannes film festival on May 14, 1983. Credit: RALPH GATTI/AFP via Getty Images
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A photo of two sports icons who marked the second half of the 20th century: Pelé and Muhammad Ali, photographed on November 19, 1999. Mark Sandten/Bongarts/Getty Images
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January 12, 1997: Portugal's Eusebio and Pelé meet before the FIFA Player of the Year announcement.
Credit: Getty Images
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Pelé with Frenchman Just Fontaine on July 7, 1998. Credit: PEDRO UGARTE / AFP via Getty Images
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Joao Havelange, then president of FIFA, Pelé and Joseph Blatter, secretary general of the federation.
Credit: JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP via Getty Images
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May 23, 1988: Pelé with Argentine Diego Maradona with and Frenchman Michel Platini in France.
Credit: AP/Lionel Cironneau
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Diego Armando Maradona photographed in a hammock with Pelé, during a meeting in Rio de Janeiro, on Saturday, May 13, 1995. Credit: AP / G. Copolla
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November 2, 2000: Sir Elton John and Pelé with the FA Cup in the players' locker room at Wembley Stadium, London.
Credit: Clive Mason/ALLSPORT
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March 26, 2000: Pelé attends the Brazilian Grand Prix and greets David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella on the podium.
Credit: VANDERLEI ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images
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Pele hugs Diego Maradona on December 11, 2000 at a FIFA ceremony in Rome, Italy.
GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images
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Franz Beckenbauer of Germany, Pele of Brazil and Bobby Charlton of England smile for a photo during the preliminary draw for the Korea/Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup in Tokyo on December 7, 1999. Credit: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images
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Pele congratulates Ronaldo after the 2002 World Cup final at the Yokohama stadium in Japan, Sunday June 30.
Credit: AP/Dusan Vranic
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Pele meets former South African President Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 17, 2007. Credit: FIFA / BACKPAGEPIX / AFP via Getty Images
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The former soccer player has several memoirs, including "Pelé: My Life and the Beautiful Game," "My Life in Pictures" and "Pelé: The Autobiography."
Credit: by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
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Pele promoting a book on April 1, 2014 in New York City.
Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
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Cristiano Ronaldo receives the 2008 FIFA footballer of the year award from Pele on January 12, 2009. Credit: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images
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Pelé greets architect Oscar Niemeyer on November 4, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Credit: AP / Felipe Dana
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Frenchman Eric Cantona and Pelé at a New York Cosmos team event in London on August 2, 2011. Credit: AP/Sang Tan
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Pelé and singer Gilberto Gil during a screening at the Cannes film festival on May 18, 2005. Credit: FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images
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Pele along with Colombian singer Shakira and FIFA President Sepp Blatter during the Ballon d'Or ceremony on January 9, 2012. Credit: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
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January 9, 2012: Lionel Messi, Pelé, Sir Alex Ferguson, Dani Alves, Neymar, Ronaldo and Lothar Matthäus pose at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
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Pele is pictured with former players Kaka and David Beckham before the 2014 Brazil World Cup final at the Maracanã stadium on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro.
Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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Pele cries as he receives an honorary Ballon d'Or during a ceremony in Zurich on January 13, 2014. Credit: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images
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Pele speaks to children during the inauguration of a soccer field in the Mineira favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 10, 2014. Credit: YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images
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Pelé poses with French soccer player Kylian Mbappé at an event in Paris on April 2, 2019. Credit: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
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February 7, 2003: Christie's auction house shows some Pelé objects;
a jersey worn by him after the 1970 World Cup, a pair of cleats from when he scored his 1000th goal and a letter of authenticity from his original contract with Santos FC from 1960. Credit: NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP via Getty Images
(CNN Spanish) --
Pelé holds the Guinness record for the most World Cups won by an individual.
O Rei,
as he was nicknamed, lifted the cup three times: Sweden 1958, Chile 1962 and Mexico 1970.
The former Brazilian star, considered by many to be the best player in history, participated in four World Cups in total.
In the 14 games that she played representing the
canarinha
, she scored 12 goals in total and made 8 goal passes, according to the specialized page Transfermarkt.es.
He never got a yellow or red card.
Throughout his career he scored 1,281 goals in a total of 1,363 games, including friendlies and unofficial competitions.
In the list of official competitions for elite professional players, Pelé (with 769 goals) is third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, according to RSSSF.
Why do they call Brazil 'la canarinha'?
In Sweden, Pelé's performance was key: he scored the only goal for Brazil in the quarterfinals against Wales, scored a
hat-trick
in the semifinal against France and scored a double in the final against Sweden that ended 5-2, recalls the Guinness page.
Four years later, in Chile, Pelé's participation in the World Cup was severely limited by an injury in the second game that kept him off the field for the rest of the tournament.
He did score a goal in the first game, in which Brazil defeated Mexico 2-0.
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Pelé, declared a national treasure of Brazil, won the World Cup again in 1970, the year in which he also won the Ballon d'Or.
The results of the Brazilian in the World Cups have no comparison.
Only 20 other players went on to win more than one World Cup, but none lifted three.
And of those 20, in addition, eight won without having played any game in those cups.
The multi-award winning Pelé
In the year 2000, the International Association Football Federation (FIFA) named him "Player of the Century", together with the Argentine Diego Maradona.
During his career, the Brazilian earned accolades of all kinds and colors, including being designated an "honorary knight" by the late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
His name was also linked to politics: in addition to serving as Extraordinary Minister of Sports between 1995 and 1998, that year a law named after him was approved with the aim of dealing with corruption in Brazilian soccer.
You can find more information about Pelé's career in this article.
Pele Brazil national team