Courtesy: CricketSoccer
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, is a global icon who has arguably revolutionized football more than anyone else in the last 80 years. Pele is not only one of the greatest footballers of all time, but also one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Pele holds a slew of records that are nearly impossible to break. So, here are five Brazilian records that are likely to stand the test of time:
- Youngest World Cup Winner
When Pele was selected by Brazil for the 1958 World Cup, aged 17, he was the youngest player to ever win the world cup. Not only was he just selected but was a crucial piece of the puzzle for Brazil to win the prestigious trophy.
2. Most FIFA World Cup winners medal for an individual
He ended up retiring with 3 world cup trophies. No one has ever come close to this feat. He helped Brazil win 1958, 1962, and 1970. It seems unlikely that this record will ever be broken.
3. Brazil’s Record Goal Scorer
This is the most likely of Pele’s remaining records to be broken in the near future. Neymar is only 28 years old and has already scored 61 goals in 101 appearances. Of course, Neymar’s goals per game ratio is significantly lower than Pele’s, but the number of caps he is likely to accumulate will give him a great chance of closing the 16-goal gap between the two in the all-time charts.
4. Most career goals in football
The record was given to Pele for scoring 1283 career goals in 1363 games. These goals include the ones scored by the Brazilian in friendly matches, the club’s amateur and reserve team games, and junior national teams. There is controversy about this tally, but he’s still considered the top scorer by many across the footballing community.
5. Pele set a record with 92 hat-tricks in his career. This accounts for 21.5 percent of all goals he’s scored in his career. He also has six five-goal games and has scored four goals in a game 31 times.
Pele is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. His records speak for himself. He retired in 1977 after almost 20 years of playing football. People consider Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as bigger personalities, which is understandable. But, until they win the world cup, Pele would always have that over them.