I told myself before the game, 'he's made of skin and bones, just like everyone else'. But I was wrong." We boast one of the largest football photograph catalogues online - take a browse of all your favourite Pelé moments, whether it be his trademark goal celebrations or your favourite on-pitch moment. Customise your photo If you're thinking about adding custom features or finishes to your Pelé photos, here are just some of the options you can choose from: At Sport Photo Gallery, we're always updating our photo library every week, and with thousands of photos to choose from, we're sure you won't have trouble finding what you're looking for.

In 1999 Pelé was named FIFA's "Co-Player of the Century", a title he shared with the Argentinian Diego Maradona. He was also named "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee. It was a fitting recognition for this outstanding football player and inspirational man. Pelé was average-sized but had speed, balance and vision. He had extraordinary control of the ball and was able to shoot powerfully with either foot. And his headers were legendary! Pele hung his boots up for good in 1977 after a stint in the US' ill-fated first professional football league. Pelé's eventual retirement in 1977 didn't slow him down! He was a Goodwill Ambassador with UNICEF, a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment, and Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport. Pele left an impression that transcended the game and led Andy Warhol, the late US artist, to amend his famous quote about the transient nature of fame.Pele scored one and set up two more in that game, as Brazil won their - and his - third World Cup. That goal was one of more than 1,200 that he would score in his career. Unlikely national treasure

Pelé's final game was an exhibition match between his two teams, the New York cosmos and Santos, in 1977. He played for both sides! Choice. At Sport Photo Gallery, we have an extensive selection of Pele photos, with customisable options to create a truly unique piece of memorabilia. Pele was a go-to source for quotes for national and international media - he never really measured his words much, even if it meant upsetting famous colleagues. In a 2021 Netflix documentary, Pele said, in an apologetic tone, that "footballers wouldn't have made a difference" to the human rights violations that took place during the years of military rule. One of the best compliments to Pele's performance in that tournament came from Italy's Tarcisio Burgnich, the defender charged with man-marking the Brazilian in the final.Every time that our paths crossed, I would spend the following days wondering what had just happened. It was like being in the presence of one of the Avengers - one who always seemed happy to see you. Twelve years later, he was part of a Brazil side that won the title in Mexico with such flair that it still wins polls for the best team ever assembled. I think my history in the game gives me a right to speak my mind," he told me in Berlin in 2006, in another surreal moment in which I found myself in a luxury hotel suite with him and his staff watching England's World Cup round of 16 match against Ecuador. Pele the player had already retired from international duty before I was born in 1973, but growing up in Brazil made it impossible to escape hearing over and over again tales of his feats. As it turned out, Pele was already battling kidney problems, which were aggravated by the fact he had actually lost a kidney in the 1970s, damaged by the battering dispensed by opponents throughout his 21-year professional career.

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." A Short Biography of PeléIn his 82 years, Brazilian footballer Pelé (real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento) secured his status as one of the best footballers in the game. Not only was he the only player to have won three FIFA World Cups, he also holds the record for most goals scored in a single World Cup tournament, and was named FIFA Player of the Century to honour these accomplishments. With a career spanning two decades, Pelé revolutionised the sport we know and love. He never went into management and his involvement with the game was largely limited to stints in TV punditry - the scenes of him jumping up and down still wearing his headset in the press box of the Rose Bowl stadium in Los Angeles when Brazil won the 1994 Men's World Cup still bring a tear to my eyes. Neither did Pele actively engage with more formal efforts against racism in Brazil, whether in his playing days or after retiring. Pele was one of the few who contradicted my theory: instead of 15 minutes of fame, he will have 15 centuries," Warhol predicted. Did you forget I was born in the town of Tres Coracoes (Three Hearts in Portuguese)? It's difficult to put someone who has 'three hearts' in the ground," he answered, with a laugh.