Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Coraçes, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He was named after Thomas Edison, an American inventor (his parents removed the i).
He was given the moniker ‘Pele’ as a toddler after mispronouncing the name of a goalie, ‘Bile.’ Pele detested it at first and grumbled, but the more he complained, the more it stuck. Pele has no meaning and was meant to be an insult, but it was later discovered that the word Bilé is Hebrew for “wonder.”
Pele grew up poor in So Paulo. His father (who used to play football) taught him how to play, but he often had to practice with a sock stuffed with newspapers because he couldn’t afford to buy a football. He worked as a waitress in local tea cafes in addition to playing football. Pele used to play in indoor leagues as a kid, which helped him improve his reaction time. He progressed through the youth leagues and was signed by Santos FC at the age of 15.
He was quickly identified as a future star. He was the top scorer in the Brazilian league by the age of 16 and was called up to the Brazilian national team. The Brazilian President proclaimed Pele a national treasure to prevent him from being purchased by international clubs like as Manchester United.
Were Pelé and Maradona friends?
Diego Armando Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in Lans, Buenos Aires Province, to a poor family who had come from Corrientes Province; he was reared in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown in the southern suburbs of Buenos Aires, Argentina. After four daughters, he was the first son. Hugo (el Turco) and Ral (Lalo), his two younger brothers, were both professional football players. His father, Diego Maradona “Chitoro,” was of Guaran (Indigenous) and Spanish (Basque) heritage, while his mother, Dalma Salvadora Franco, “Doa Tota,” (1930-2011), was of Italian and Croatian descent.
The Brazilian and Argentine had a tense relationship throughout their lifetimes as they competed to be regarded as the greatest footballer of all time.
