Pelé was a beloved and world-renowned Brazilian footballer who died on December 29, 2022, at the age of 82 years old.
Pelé is one of the most illustrious individuals of the 20th century and is often considered as the greatest soccer player of all time. He was the world’s highest-paid athlete during the height of his career.
Pelé continued to make tens of millions of dollars via endorsement deals with businesses throughout his decades of retirement, particularly Puma.
In the top division, Pelé presently owns a lot of significant records, including the most goals scored (541). In all competitions combined, he has 1297 goals. In Brazil, where he was born, Pelé is revered as a national hero and holds the record for most goals scored in a single season with 77.
After retirement, Pelé became a political activist who worked to better the lives of the poor in Brazil as well as a global advocate for football.
Pele’s net worth
Pelés official net worth at his time of death is a whoppin $100 million USD.
After impressing the coach with his exceptional skills at the age of 15, Pelé’s career with Santos FC began. The following year, 1956, he signed a contract and made his professional debut, scoring in his maiden game.
He was the highest scorer in the entire Brazilian league by the age of 16. His participation in the 1958 and 1962 World Cups for the Brazilian national team came about fast.
Pelé remained closely connected to Santos and Brazil despite numerous prominent teams attempting to sign the young talent. His group kept on excelling, winning the 1962 Intercontinental Cup and the 1963 Copa Libertadores. In order to see Pelé play in a stadium in Lagos, the two opposing forces of the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour cease-fire in 1969.
Pelé eventually agreed to play for the New York Cosmos following the 1974 season, despite the fact that he would never play for a major team like Inter Milan or Real Madrid (despite numerous offers).
Many other renowned soccer players, including Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto, joined the Cosmos after he did. In essence, Pelé encouraged several legendary players to play in America, including Bobby Moore, Johan Cruyff, and George Best. Additionally, he was successful in getting a sizable American audience to start following soccer. He attracted more than 62,000 spectators to one of his Cosmos games at the Giant Stadium in 1977.
In terms of his international career, Pelé got off to a fast start by defeating Sweden in the 1958 World Cup final and winning the tournament. Despite being injured for virtually the whole tournament, he contributed to Brazil’s 1962 World Cup victory. Pelé returned in 1970 to win the World Cup one final time after the disastrous 1966 edition.