Pele, the legendary Brazilian footballer, who died late last night at the age of 82, will remain etched in the memory of fans and admirers as the man who turned football into a global sport. As a 17-year-old, Pele took the sport by storm as he stamped his class on the 1958 FIFA World Cup to help Brazil win its maiden world title. His spectacular skills and goal scoring abilities left everyone stunned, including his opponents. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against a rampant French side and then helped the Selcao subdue hosts Sweden by scoring a brace in the final.
He was part of the team that defended the title in 1982, but played only two matches as he missed the rest of the tournament due to an injury.
He was part of the team again in 1966, when Brazil were eliminated in the group stages after successive losses to Hungary and Portugal.
The year 1970 was a special once for football as the FIFA World Cup cup was telecast in colour for the first time and those who had access to the technology were lucky enough to watch Pele dazzle in the yellow jersey of Brazil. He was now a veteran and senior member of a talented squad considered by many as one of the best ever.
He produced a scintillating display in the final with a goal and two assists against Italy as Brazil won 4-1 to win their third title.
Here is the video of all of Pele's goals in the FIFA World Cup
One of the greatest to ever play the game 🇧🇷⚽️
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) October 23, 2022
Join us in wishing the legendary @Pele a very Happy Birthday 🥳 pic.twitter.com/hwuU3d1Ufh
He remains the only player ever to have won the FIFA World Cup thrice.
He scored a total of 12 goals in the four World Cups he played in and still remains the second highest goal scorer for Brazil in the showpiece event behind Ronaldo Nazario.
