Football legend Pele is aged 81 presently. Following Brazil winning the 1958 FIFA World Cup, he initially gained notoriety. The government of Brazil at the time designated him as little more than a living legend. He was born on October 23, 1940, and this year on his birthday Pele is turning 82.
Again for a Brazilian athlete who was born into poverty, matters weren’t ever as good. He was able to earn earnings by working at a beverage store. According to his movie ‘Pele: Birth of a Legend’, he used to practice soccer using old socks stuffed using paper or grapefruit because his parents were unable to afford to purchase him a ball.
Happy Birthday Pele: Personal Insights
He learned the game of football from his football-playing dad, Joao Ramos do Nascimento, when he was a young boy. He, who was barely nine years old when Brazil was defeated in the 1950 World Cup of Football, vowed to his grieving father he was going to bring the trophy home.
He kept his promise and netted the game-winning goal versus Sweden in 1958, eliminating the FIFA World Cup mother country.
He recalled the advice his father offered him, saying that he advised the football player to work on his weak points. Because he used to perform using his right leg, Pele claimed that he began working out together with his left. When he was asked regarding his father’s advice, Joao claimed that if he trained with his eyes shut, he would never see the football. His father also advised him to practise heading the ball while keeping his eyes wide, according to Pele, as quoted by USA Today.
Along with being a fantastic football player, Pele also serves as a philanthropist. He was named an advocate for biodiversity and the ecosystem by the UN in 1992. He is aware of how children experience cognitive health because he has firsthand experience with it. Pele has backed the UN’s anti-poverty strategic priorities.
