Pelé’s Last Kick

By Emma Galgano

he was 15. After a year, Pelé was recruited to play for the Brazilian national team.

Pelé was officially introduced to the world during his stellar performance in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. At only 17, Pelé remarkably scored three goals in a 5-2 semifinal win over France, then netted two more in the finals, a 5-2 win over the host country.

He combined his kicking power and accuracy with a remarkable ability to anticipate other players’ moves. Although at times Pelé took penalty kicks, he stated that he often refrained from taking a penalty, as he saw it as a cowardly way to score.

Brazil was strategic in ensuring Pelé continued to play in home country by the government, who declared him a national treasure in order to prevent other club teams from making offers. Plus, Pelé was constantly promoted in the local media.

As reported by CBS Sports, the next two World Cups were challenging for Pelé, as he suffered multiple leg and groin injuries, causing him to sit on the bench for the remainder of the tournaments. Yet, Pelé returned greater than ever in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

He scored four goals in the tournament, including one in the finals, to help Brazil become victorious over Italy. Pelé finished his

World Cup career having scored 12 goals in 14 games, making him the one of the highest goal scorers in the tournament’s history.

Not only was Pelé a superstar on the field, but he was also a leader who valued the power of sportsmanship. His interaction with Bobby Moore following the Brazil versus England game at the 1970 World Cup is viewed as the embodiment of sportsmanship. The New York Times stated the image “captured the respect that two great players had for each other.”

According to Britannica, in 1974, Pelé announced his retirement. However, a year later, Pelé came out of semi-retirement and signed a three-year $7 million contract with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

During the Cosmos’ news conference to announce Pelé’s entrance to the team, their representative stated, “We had superstars in the United States but nothing at the level of Pelé. Everyone wanted to touch him, shake his hand, and get a photo with him.”

In 1977, Pelé officially retired after leading the Cosmos to the league championship. To this day, Pelé is often credited for significantly increasing public awareness and interest in soccer in the U.S.

As stated by Biography. com, Pelé ended his career with a total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games,