Football has long transcended the boundaries of being merely a sport to become a universal language connecting billions of people around the world. In that world, there are only a few individuals who are influential enough to become icons, and Pele, 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 etched his legacy in the minds of every generation of football lovers. His journey is not only a story about football but also an inspirational tale for 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 in Pele's career remains a subject of 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 levels.
What 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.
Football's record-keeping from the 1950s to the 1970s was unstructured and decentralized. This was the era dominated by Pele, making the exact number of goals scored by the Brazilian legend, particularly at the club level, a matter of heated debate among statisticians and fans.
Pele the king of football goals for the Brazil national team
Pele, the king of football, holds remarkable goal records for the Brazil national team. When examining the numbers, Pele's international goals for the Selecao stand out as a remarkable achievement. He 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 across four tournaments, second only to record-holder Ronaldo. Pele is also 5th on the list of players with the most goals in the World Cup. He is the youngest footballer to ever score in this arena, with his record-breaking goal coming 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 in a World Cup match. With a brace against hosts Sweden in the final, Pele solidified his status as 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.
Pele remains, to this day, the only footballer 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 an impressive 680 goals for his club. Of these, 643 were scored for Santos across national and state tournaments, the Copa Libertadores, and the Intercontinental Cup (the predecessor to the FIFA Club World Cup). Sources differ on the number of games Pele played for Santos. While one source claims 659 and another 665, the number of goals remains consistent across most statistics.
Pele made his debut for Santos at just 15 years old and spent the majority of his illustrious career there. The remaining 37 goals came during Pele's three-year spell with the New York Cosmos (USA), a club he joined in 1975 at the age of 35. Interestingly, Pele's 643 goals for Santos held the record for the most goals scored by a player for a single club for nearly half a century before Lionel Messi broke it.
The king of football Pele's 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 the club and 77 for the 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 includes Pele's goals scored during his time in the military or in matches used to test players selected for the Selecao. But can such matches truly be classified as top-flight football?
However, Cristiano Ronaldo has surpassed 800 official goals, while Lionel Messi is also nearing that mark in top-flight football. Unlike Pele's goalscoring record, these numbers are less controversial.
Pele career goals
When discussing Pele's career goals, various numbers have been reported. This includes goals scored in youth football, friendlies, exhibition matches, and others, in addition to Pele's official statistics. Although this figure is not considered crucial in modern football, it has sparked debate ever since the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Pele as the player with the most career goals.
The most goals scored in a given period were 1,279 by Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazil), known as Pele, between September 7, 1956, and October 1, 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 November 19, 1969, during Pele's 909th senior match. As noted by the Guinness World Records, "Pele then scored two more goals in special appearances."
Meanwhile, FIFA and CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation, have both recognized Pele's official goal tally as 1,281. This includes two goals scored in 'special appearances' for Santos after his official retirement. However, FIFA has started using the phrase "over 1,200" to describe Pele's goals. Pele himself claims his tally was 1,283, while RSSF attributes 1,303 goals in 1,392 games to the Brazilian legend.
Regardless of the exact number, Pele's goalscoring record is truly astonishing. These statistics are befitting of a legend 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 proof of the greatness of a legend. Although he retired from football long ago, the image of the 'King of Football,' with his lightning-fast runs and passionate smile, will forever remain in the memories of football lovers. 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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