Pelé, the Brazilian soccer legend widely hailed as 'O Rei do Futebol,' the king of his sport, the only man to win the World Cup three times, died at a hospital in Brazil. He was 82.
His late-career stint in New York even helped popularize soccer in the United States. But he was, first and foremost, Brazil’s.
"I told myself before the game, ‘he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else,’” Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich said after the 1970 final. “But I was wrong." Yet he was also mortal and fallible. He wasted riches on ill-advised investments. He submitted to an awkward second career as a vagabond ambassador and pitchman. He had affairs, divorced twice, and fathered multiple children out of wedlock. He refused to recognize one of them, Sandra Machado, even after she wrote an emotional book about his rejection and sued to prove that she was, in fact, his daughter.The boy who’d become king was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on Oct.
He signed a contract. He scored on his debut. Over the two years that followed, he became a bona fide star. Adolescence chiseled his body. Martial arts training sharpened his balance and agility, the attributes that would propel him past defenders at will. In 1958, Brazil took him to the World Cup despite a pre-tournament injury that ruled him out of the first two games., “and my thoughts could soar.” He bonded with older teammates.
Throughout the '60s, though, fame began to wear at him. Pelé began traveling more for commercial engagements than for sport. It strained his relationship with Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi, whom he married in 1966, but eventually divorced in 1982. Pelé later admitted to sleeping with other women while they were a couple, both before and after they wed.
But Brazil yearned for him. Fans yearned for him. The country’s fascist government yearned for him, too. The military dictatorship, which began terrorizing Brazilian citizens in 1968, pressured Pelé to return to a team that it used to promote patriotism and nationalism. Then, 18 minutes in, he rose above Italy and headed Brazil into the lead. Late in the second half, when he received the ball at the top of the box, the universe seemed to freeze and hold its breath. Pelé casually turned, fed a pass to a rampaging fullback in stride, and capped Brazil’s 4-1 triumph.
Pelé did not, however, disappear from public view. The financial problems that led him to America followed him into retirement. He cycled through managers and investments, each finding a new route to mistrust or collapse. A construction venture went bust. A sports marketing company descended into scandal.
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