Pele: Five Things You Might Not Know About The Icon

The passing of the great footballer, Pele, was expected due to recent events surrounding his deteriorating health.

At 82, Pele sure lived a worthy life and enjoyed every bit of luxury it offered.

Having fulfilled his call and passed on into the land of the greats,  The Eagle has put together five things you might not know about the Brazilian icon.

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They are:

1. Pele won his first world cup at the age of 17. 

In 1958, Pelé won his first World Cup in Sweden, where he had a significant impact on the competition. In his lone first-round appearance, he contributed an assist for a goal before scoring the game’s only goal against Wales in the quarterfinal. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final victory against France, before netting a brace in the 5-2 final over the hosts.

2. Brazil’s president declared Pelé a national treasure

His role in the 1958 world cup, giving Brazil their first ever World Cup led to the government designating him a “national treasure.” The decree was intended to stop Pelé from being transferred to foreign clubs despite the fact that he had received multiple offers from European football clubs.

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3. He appeared in several movies like:  Pele: Birth of a Legend, Once In A Life Time, A Minor Miracle, Victory, You Are What You Were Born For and many others.

4. As a great goal scorer, Pele scored 1,281 goals in his professional career (in 1,363 games). His 1,000th goal was scored at his 909th first-class game.

5. Pele is one of just five foreign stars to have received a British honour  from the late Queen Elizabeth for their services to football. In fact, the star is the only footballer to possess a KBE.