orig. Edson Arantes do Nascimento
born Oct. 23, 1940, Três Coraçõ es, Braz.
Brazilian football (soccer) player, in his time perhaps the most celebrated athlete in the world.
He joined the Santos Football Club in 1956 and helped lead that team to a world club championship in 1962. He was part of three Brazilian national teams that won World Cup championships (1958, 1962, 1970). In 1969, during his 909th match, he scored his 1,000th goal. He combined kicking power and accuracy with a remarkable ability to anticipate other players' moves. In 1975 he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL); he retired after leading the team to the league championship in 1977. He was the 1978 recipient of the International Peace Award, and in 1980 he was named Athlete of the Century.
Pelé.
AFP/Pictorial Parade