Pelé – a life in his own words

Edson Arantes do Nascimento
23 October 1940 in Três Corações in Minas Gerais
Grew up in Bauru, Sao Paulo state
Santos 1956-74 618 goals in 636 appearances
Cosmos 1975-77 37 goals in 64 appearances
Brazil 1957-71 77 goals in 92 appearances
1282 first class goals in 1386 games

On his early years
I was born in Três Corações, a small town in Minas Gerais. My father was a football player and was transferred to Bauru in Sao Paulo state. I was five or six years old when we left Três Corações and went to Bauru, where I spent my childhood. I started playing football in the streets of Bauru.

On the 1950 World Cup
I was only ten years old. I remember that there were preparations for a big celebration because the Brazilian team was playing very well and had reached the final against Uruguay. My father had arranged with some friends in Bauru for a big party to celebrate the Brazilian victory. That was the first time that I saw my father crying because Brazil lost 2-1. I asked my father why he was crying and he said: "Brazil has just lost against Uruguay and the celebrations will not take place." I replied: "Do not worry, I will win a World Cup for you".

On joining Santos
My father played in Bauru and the coach of the junior team, Valdemar de Brito, was a friend of Santos' president, Athiê Jorge Coury. The coach talked to my father and told him that it was a good idea to take me to play for Santos because it was a new team, had places for young players and had been champion that year, 1956.

On his debut for Brazil
I played my first game for the Brazil national team in the Maracanã against Argentina when I was sixteen years old. I performed well and even scored a goal, so I remained in the national team. After that, it came the time to put together the players for the World Cup in Sweden. I was playing well in Santos as well as in the national team.

On his first World Cup match
During a training session I hurt my knee, so when the team arrived in Sweden, I did not play the first two games. Then the team psychologist Professor Carvalhais said "I am worried because Pelé is very young, just 17, and he might not cope with the pressure of playing against the Europeans, so it is better for him not to play". The coach Vicente Viola, replied, "He was with the main team when he left Brazil, and has recovered well. I will put him to play". It seems that there was an argument, but they had decided to play me anyway. I think that psychology does not work very well in football!

On his first World Cup goal
After all that had happened, from the knee injury to the opinion of the psychologist, I played and scored a goal, so it was a very important goal in my career. It gave me back my confidence and Brazil got its qualification in that game, which was very difficult and where Wales was playing very defensively.

On parading the Swedish flag and the tears of a world champion
It was a homage, because the Swedish treated us very well and their people stood up clapping when we beat them in the Final. Ten minutes before the end of the game, the Swedish were supporting Brazil, so we did homage by going around the pitch. I was very touched and even cried. I was also very anxious to know if my father and Brazil knew about our victory, because there was only the radio. The anxiety and the final laps around the field brought me to tears.

On his only appearance at the Copa America, in 1959
That was a very hard championship because it was played in Argentina. There was a fight among the players of Brazil and Uruguay that was a little scary, because it involved all the players. There is a big rivalry among Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, but it is not so much with countries like Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. There was always a problem whenever there was a game between Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. In the final match against Argentina I scored to finish as top scorer, but we finished second behind Argentina.

On his injury at the 1962 World Cup
That World Cup was very important for Brazil because we became world champions again. However, it wasn’t such an important Cup for me because I injured my left leg in the group stage game against Czechoslovakia, one of the best teams Brazil had to play against. I played that game, but I hurt my leg and did not play the final. On one hand it was good that Brazil won the World Cup, but on the other hand it was not good for me because I was left on the sidelines.

On the 1958 and 1962 World Cup winning teams
Didi was the conductor of the Brazilian team and had a different characteristic from Garrincha or Pelé. He was the one who co-ordinated the Brazilian team because all the passing from defence went through Didi. He was the brain of our team and an experienced player, who used to give us all advice outside the field. But the funny thing was that he had lots of experience but did not like and never accepted the position of captain of the Brazilian team.

On Santos against the European champions for the Intercontinental Cup
Santos were the world champions in 1962 when we beat Benfica in Portugal and then here in Brazil. In 1963 Santos then beat Milan. There were two games against the European champions, one in Europe and another here, which was far more interesting than having just one game. The Europeans think they are better than the Latin Americans. The great rivalry between the European teams and the Latin American teams is intense, because the Latins think their football has more technique and is more open, while the European think that their football is more organised and stronger.

On touring with Santos
Santos was then considered the best team in the world and was an ambassador of Latin American football. We played in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. In January and February we played in South America and Africa because of the warm climate, while in June and July we would play throughout Europe. There was a year when Santos played more than 100 games. I think that Santos was the team that most promoted Brazil in Brazilian history.

On Brazil's first round exit at the 1966 World Cup
It was a very difficult year for the Brazilian team. We were already having problems and hadn't prepared for a period of transition. The team kept swapping the players around and there were also disagreements in the technical commission. As for me, it was the worst year of my life, because the Brazilian team did not win and I had a knee injury. I actually thought I was not going to recover. It was a very sad thing, but it was a good lesson for Brazil. It made us prepare better for the 1970 World Cup. In that aspect, what happened was very important.

On swapping shirts with Bobby Moore at the 1970 World Cup
Even today, I see that photo and I get emotional, not only because of the memories of the World Cup, but also because Bobby Moore was a good example. For me, he was one of the best defenders of all times. In the end of the game, a difficult and beautiful game against England, which Brazil won, we were passing by each other, and he asked me to swap shirts. I agreed immediately. Bobby Moore was a very determined player, who has always played honestly and fairly. He was the player in charge of the English defence. Until today and every time I see that photo I get very emotional.

On why he joined New York Cosmos
I stopped playing for the Brazilian national team in 1972 and in 1974 I left Santos. I decided to stop playing football but received several proposals from Real Madrid, Barcelona, America of Mexico, Italy and Holland. After a career of twenty years I stopped playing here in Brazil, so I thought that by playing in Europe, which paid better than the United States, it would be no different. If that was the case, I was better staying in Brazil. That was why I decided to go to the United States, where I would have the chance to study Sports Marketing and for my children to speak English. Another important aspect was that the NASL season was only five months, so I decide to stay there for two seasons without the pressures I would have in Europe and Brazil. That was why I decided to go to the United States.

On the best player of all time?
People argue between Pelé or Maradona… For me Di Stéfano was a much more complete player, but I am constantly being asked about individuals. The only way to win is as a team. Football is not about one or two or three star players.