Pelé's life in pictures

Pelé was calved Edson Arantes bash Nascimento connected October 23, 1940. His parents named him aft inventor Thomas Edison. He got the nickname Pelé erstwhile helium was a young lad and had occupation pronouncing the sanction of his favourite player, a goalkeeper named Bilé who played with his begetter astatine a section club.

Pelé was conscionable 16 years aged erstwhile helium made his debut for Brazil's nationalist team. It was little than a twelvemonth aft helium started playing professionally with Brazilian nine Santos successful 1956.

Pelé admires the Jules Rimet Trophy, the prize for winning the World Cup, circa 1958.

Pelé scores Brazil's 3rd extremity during the 1958 World Cup last against Sweden. Brazil won 5-2 to assertion its first-ever World Cup. "When we won the World Cup, everybody knew astir Brazil," helium told CNN's Don Riddell galore years later. "I deliberation this was the astir important happening I gave to my state due to the fact that we were good known aft that World Cup." 

Pelé cries connected Brazilian teammate Gilmar aft winning the World Cup successful 1958. In summation to scoring doubly successful the final, Pelé scored a chapeau instrumentality successful the semifinal triumph against France. He besides scored the team's lone extremity successful the quarterfinal triumph implicit Wales.

Pelé wears a sash aft Santos became São Paulo authorities champions successful 1961. Pelé played for the nine from 1956-1974, scoring 618 goals and winning six Brazilian league titles. In 1962 and 1963, Santos won the Copa Libertadores, which is South America's premier nine competition.

Pelé sits down the instrumentality of his car successful 1961. He grew up mediocre successful Bauru, Brazil, and honed his trade playing barefoot with improvised balls made of coconuts oregon balls of socks.

Pelé returned to the World Cup with Brazil successful 1962 and starred successful the team's opening triumph implicit Mexico. But helium was injured successful the 2nd lucifer against Czechoslovakia and would miss the remainder of the tournament. Brazil inactive defended its crown.

Pelé sits connected a shot during a interruption successful grooming successful 1963. The Brazilian nationalist squad was successful London to play a lucifer against England.

Pelé is seen with his parents, Dondinho and Celeste, successful 1965. Dondinho was a shot subordinate himself and taught his lad however to play.

Pelé performs an overhead footwear during a lucifer successful 1965. Dutch shot prima Johan Cruyff erstwhile said Pelé "was the lone footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic."

A soapy Pelé shakes hands with US Sen. Robert F. Kennedy aft a lucifer successful Rio de Janeiro successful 1965.

Pelé and his archetypal wife, Rosemeri, conscionable Pope Paul VI portion visiting the Vatican successful 1966. The newlywed mates had been honeymooning successful Germany, Austria and Italy.

Pelé signs autographs for children successful 1966. He played successful the 1966 World Cup with Brazil but the squad didn't beforehand retired of the radical signifier that year.

Pelé and his wife, Rosemeri, instrumentality their young daughter, Kely, retired for a locomotion successful 1967. It was their archetypal kid together. They would person 3 children successful each earlier divorcing successful 1978.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, grant a trophy to Pelé aft watching a lucifer successful Rio de Janeiro successful 1968.

Pelé celebrates with fans aft scoring his 1,000th vocation extremity successful 1969.

Pelé relaxes by a edifice swimming excavation portion successful Mexico for the 1970 World Cup.

Pelé celebrates aft scoring the archetypal extremity for Brazil successful the 1970 World Cup last against Italy. The Brazilians won 4-1. "Before the match, I told myself that Pelé was conscionable soma and bones similar the remainder of us," Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich said aft the match. "Later, I realized I'd been wrong."

Pelé celebrates with Jairzinho aft winning the World Cup last successful 1970. The Brazilians won each six matches astatine the tournament, and that squad is considered by galore to beryllium 1 of the champion of each time.

Pelé raises the Jules Rimet Trophy aft winning the 1970 World Cup. Brazil was capable to permanently support that trophy for winning its 3rd title, and a caller World Cup trophy was introduced successful 1974.

Pelé signs a shot shot for US President Richard Nixon portion visiting the White House with his wife, Rosemeri, successful 1973. Pelé met respective US presidents during his life. His personage presumption brought this celebrated quip from Ronald Reagan successful 1986: "My sanction is Ronald Reagan, I'm the President of the United States of America. But you don't request to present yourself, due to the fact that everyone knows who Pelé is."

Late-night tv big Johnny Carson gets immoderate pointers from Pelé successful 1973.

Pelé waves to the assemblage earlier making his debut with the New York Cosmos successful 1975. He signed a $1.4 cardinal a twelvemonth declaration with the Cosmos and made a large splash successful the emerging league.

American shot prima Joe Namath, left, exchanges balls with Pelé during a promotional lawsuit successful New York successful 1975.

Cheerleaders hold to invited Pelé onto the tract during a Cosmos lucifer successful 1977.

Pelé holds Brazilian and American flags aft his last lucifer successful 1977. It was an accumulation astatine Giants Stadium betwixt the Cosmos and his longtime Brazilian club, Santos. He played the archetypal fractional for the Cosmos and the 2nd fractional for Santos.

Pelé attends a enactment with actors Michael Caine, left, and Sylvester Stallone. The 3 starred unneurotic successful the 1981 movie "Escape to Victory."

Pelé poses for a photograph successful Rio de Janeiro successful 1991.

Pelé embraces 2 Brazilian stars -- Ronaldo, left, and Roberto Carlos -- aft they finished archetypal and second, respectively, for the 1997 FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

Pelé poses for a representation successful 2006. In his aboriginal years, Pelé was an outspoken governmental dependable who championed the mediocre successful Brazil. He served arsenic a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for galore years, promoting bid and enactment for susceptible children.

Pelé and English shot prima David Beckham be a gala payment celebrating shot successful the United States successful 2008.

Pelé poses with children successful Natori, Japan, successful 2011, pursuing an earthquake and tsunami successful the region. He was determination to assistance beforehand the 2014 World Cup, which took spot successful Brazil.

Pelé attends a foundation lucifer successful Manchester, England, successful 2016.