Pele biography summary graphic organizer

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Who Was Pelé?

Soccer legend Pelé became a superstar with his performance in the World Cup. Pelé played professionally in Brazil for two decades, winning three World Cups along the way, before joining the New York Cosmos late in his career.

Named FIFA co-Player of the Century in , he was a global ambassador for soccer and other humanitarian causes.

Early Life

Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, in Três Corações, Brazil, the first child of João Ramos and Dona Celeste.

Named after Thomas Edison and nicknamed "Dico," Pelé moved with his family to the city of Bauru as a young boy.

João Ramos, better known as "Dondinho," struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pelé grew up in poverty.

Still, he developed a rudimentary talent for soccer by kicking a rolled-up sock stuffed with rags around the streets of Bauru. The origin of the "Pelé" nickname is unclear, though he recalled despising it when his friends first r