Football has long gone beyond the limits of a sport to become a common language connecting billions of people around the world. In that world, there are only a few individuals who are big enough to become icons, and ele the king of football is one of them. With his natural talent, extraordinary achievements and timeless influence, Pele not only conquered the field but also engraved his image in the minds of every generation of football lovers. His journey is not only a story about football, but also a journey to inspire millions of fans around the planet. Today, with Win Betting Tips out why is Pele called the king of football through the article below!
Why is Pele the king of football?
The King of Football Pele scored 77 goals in 92 international matches for Brazil and 680 goals in official club matches. However, the total number of goals scored in the career of this legend is still a matter of much debate in football.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to the world as Pele, is the greatest football player on the planet. Pele, often referred to as the King of Football, is the only player in history to win three World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970, with a cabinet full of trophies at international and club level.
But what really cements Pele's legacy as a contender for the title of greatest of all time (GOAT) is his incredible goalscoring record. So how many goals did Pele score in his career? The answer is not quite so simple.
Due to the unstructured and decentralized record keeping in football from the 1950s to the 1970s, an era dominated by Pele, the exact number of goals scored by the Brazilian legend during his career, especially at club level, is a matter of heated debate among statisticians and fans.
Pele the king of football goals for the Brazil national team
Looking at the numbers, we see two areas: Pele's international goals for the Selecao. Pele scored 77 goals in 92 matches, becoming the all-time leading scorer for the Brazilian national team.
Most of Pele's goals for the national team are beyond doubt. This number also makes Pele the 11th highest scorer of all time in the history of international football. At the World Cup, Pele scored 12 goals in 14 matches in 4 tournaments - second only to record holder Ronaldo.
Pele is also 5th in the list of players with the most goals in the World Cup. He is also the youngest footballer to ever score in this arena, that goal in the quarter-final match against Wales in the 1958 World Cup at the age of 17 years and 239 days.
In the very next match, the semi-final against France, Pele became the youngest player to score a hat-trick at the World Cup. With a brace against hosts Sweden in the final, Pele became the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final. More than six decades have passed since then and all three of Pele's records still stand.
In fact, Pele remains the only footballer to date to have scored at the World Cup before turning 18. In addition to his 14 goals, Pele also provided 10 assists at the World Cup - the most in the history of the tournament.
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Goal scoring record for clubs
In official matches, Pele scored 680 goals for his club. Of these, 643 were scored for Santos in national and state tournaments, the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup (the predecessor to the FIFA Club World Cup).
While sources differ on the number of games Pele played for Santos, with one source saying 659 and another 665, the number of goals remains consistent across most statistics.
Pele made his debut for Santos at the age of 15 and spent the majority of his career there. The remaining 37 goals were scored during Pele's three-year spell with the New York Cosmos (USA), whom he joined in 1975 at the age of 35. He played 64 official games for the New York Cosmos before retiring in 1977.
Interestingly, Pele's 643 goals for Santos stood as the record for most goals scored by a player for a single club for nearly half a century before being broken by Lionel Messi. The Argentine scored 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona before leaving the club in 2021.
The king of football Pele goalscoring record in elite football
This is where the discrepancy in Pele's goals comes into play. Elite football refers to all of Pele's official matches at senior level. So, in the modern context, it would be ideal to add up Pele's total goals for club and country.
This total is said to be 757 goals (680 for club and 77 for country). Most statisticians support this figure. However, the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF), an organization that maintains in-depth historical data and records of football matches, claims Pele had 778 goals in 846 official matches.
The RSSF takes into account Pele's goals while in the military or in matches that were used to test the legs of players selected for the Selecao. Can these matches be classified as top-flight football?
However, even so, remember that Cristiano Ronaldo has over 800 official goals while Lionel Messi is also approaching the 800 mark in top-flight football and is not as controversial as the number of goals scored by the King of Football Pele.
Pele career goals
When it comes to Pele's career goals, many different numbers have been seen. This includes goals scored in youth football, friendlies, fair matches... in addition to Pele's official statistics. Although this number has never been an important statistic in modern football, it has become a matter of debate since the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Pele as the player with the most goals in a football career.
“The most goals scored in a given period are 1,279 by Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazil), known as Pele, between 7 September 1956 and 1 October 1977 in 1,363 matches. Pele’s most prolific year was 1959 with 126 goals.
Milesimo (1,000th goal) came from a penalty kick for Santos at the Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, on 19 November 1969 when Pele played his 909th senior match. Pele then scored two more goals in special appearances,” the Guinness World Records website notes.
Meanwhile, FIFA and CONMEBOL - the South American Football Confederation - have each given Pele's official goal tally as 1,281, taking into account two goals scored in 'special appearances' for Santos after his official retirement as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records.
However, FIFA has started using the phrase "over 1,200" to refer to Pele's goals in recent years. Pele himself, meanwhile, claims his tally was 1,283. RSSF, on the other hand, gives the Brazilian great an inflated 1,303 goals in 1,392 games.
Regardless of the exact number, Pele's goalscoring record is truly astonishing. These are statistics befitting a legend who is revered as the King of world football.
In Summary
Pele represents the noblest values of football, passion, dedication and immortality in the hearts of fans. The records and achievements of Pele the king of football are not just numbers but also proof of the greatness of a legend. Pele has brought football to a new level, where it is not just a game, but also a part of culture, a symbol of solidarity and the desire to conquer. Although he has left the field for a long time, the image of the "King of Football" with his lightning-fast runs and passionate smile will forever live in the memories of those who love this sport. Pele, with all his legacy, is not only a football player, but also a part of human history. Thank you for following our article!
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