When you talk about the beautiful game of football then the first name which comes to your mind is legend Pele. Edson Arantes do Nascimento popularly known as Pele was born on October 23, 1940, in Tres Coracoes in Brazil. The son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho and Celeste Arantes. He was the elder of two siblings. He was named after the American inventor Thomas Alva Edison. He received the nickname “Pele” during his school days. Pele has also been known for connecting the phrase “The Beautiful Game” with football. Also known as a ‘Black Pearl’ Pele was a prolific goal-scorer who was known for his ability to anticipate opponents in the area and finish off chances with an accurate and powerful shot with either foot. The most famous and possibly the best-paid athlete in the world Pele was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cups. Pele is the most successful topdivision scorer in the sport with 541 goals in 560 games. His total of 1283 goals in 1363 games including the friendlies In 1956 de Brito took Pele to Santos to try out for professional club Santos Football Club. Pele impressed Santos coach Lula during his trial and he signed a professional contract with the club in June 1956. Pele was highly promoted in the local media as a future superstar. He made his senior team debut on 7 September 1956 at the age of 15 against Corinthians Santo Andre and had an impressive performance in a 7-1 victory scoring the first goal in his prolific career during the match. When the 1957 season started, Pele was given a starting place in the first team and at the age of 16 became the top scorer in the league. Ten months after signing professionally the teenager was called up to the Brazil National team. Pele’s first international match was a 2-1 defeat against Argentina on 7 July 1957 at the Maracana. In that match, he scored his first goal for Brazil aged 16 years and nine months and he remains the youngest goal-scorer for his country. Pele also played in the South American Championship In the 1959 competition he was named best player of the tournament and was top scorer with 8 goals, as Brazil came second despite being unbeaten in the tournament. He scored in five of Brazil’s six games, including two goals against Chile and a hat-trick against Paraguay. The Black Pearl helped Santos win nine Sao Paulo league championships and in 1962 and 1963 both the Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup. In 1969, the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pele play an exhibition game in Lagos. Santos ended up playing to a 2-2 draw with Lagos side Stationary Stores FC and Pele scored his team’s goals. The civil war went on for one more year after this game On November 20, 1969, in his 909th first-class match, he scored his 1,000th goal. Pele’s electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals made him a star around the world. The Black Pearl was adept at striking the ball with either foot in addition to anticipating his opponents’ movements on the field. Arguably the greatest to have ever played the beautiful game.