Remembering Brazilian Legend Pele, Goodbye GOAT

Football legend from Brazil, Pele. (Photo: Instagram @pele)

JAKARTA - Sad news surrounds the world of football. Two years after Diego Maradona passed away forever, football legend Pele passed away on December 29, 2022 after several days of treatment.

They are both two humans who are often called footballers, even sportsmen, the greatest of all time.

Pele consists of four letters, two terms. But the meaning is so deep, so universal, it penetrates space and time, wrote the ESPN page, as quoted by Antara, Friday, December 30.

It's not just a name, but also a concept that everyone understands, from other places and other races, as a manifestation of beautiful football, sports that are more than just a game, but also art.

Pele is not only a name and concept that football fans understand, but also for people who don't even like football.

He is the first global sports superstar from any point of view, from a commercial perspective to athlete pay.

The only footballer in the world to win three World Cups is a reference for the whole world and sport. He has also defined sport far beyond his original spectrum.

He means so much to those who are willing to travel hundreds and thousands of kilometers just to see him play and train, as Santos and the Brazilian national team.

He is the only footballer who has never played for big clubs in Europe, as the Brazilian government bans him from being owned by anyone because he is already considered a Brazilian treasure.

When he finally had to leave his country, he chose the United States, New York Cosmos.

He is 34 years old and will retire when New York Cosmos beat Juventus and Real Madrid in captivating the world's greatest player in 1975.

"If you go there (Europe), all you can do is win a tournament. You came here (the United States), you won a country", recalls death toy, Cosmos manager, to Pele, at the time.

And indeed Pele has made the United States fall in love.

In just two years, Pele turned American football from a sport almost ignored by anyone into a sport that made tickets for stadiums with 80,000 spectators sold out.

There he won the North American Football League championship, as well as opening the door to football stars from the rest of the world, including Johan Cruyff and George Best, to play in the United States, until now.

Pele is the most loved footballer of his generation or any other generation. He is the king of beautiful and eternal play that led Brazil to win the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups.

When he finally retired in 1977, Pele had scored more than 1,000 goals. 77 of them he scored for Brazil which was only a few days ago with Neymar after nearly half a century without anyone touching him.

But its influence goes far beyond the gridiron because it is also a phenomenon that becomes a money factory because its name is a guarantee for all sports sales, from costumes, credit cards, to watches.

Have given up on playing

Born in the real name of Edson Arantes do Nascimento in October 1940, Pele played his first game for Santos at the age of 15, 1956.

A year later he was called to join Brazil and make his debut goal with the national team against Argentina. In 1958 he entered the Sweden World Cup squad.

His participation in the 1958 edition of the World Cup finals has become the subject of heated debate in Brazil.

Many people question whether it is appropriate for the sleek teenager to carry a heavy burden from the biggest tournament in the world.

The criticism was almost proven when he injured his knee upon arrival in Sweden which forced him to miss Brazil's first two matches at the 1958 World Cup.

Pele was almost absent from Brazil's third game against the Soviet Union, had coach Vicente Feola consumed the advice of a team psychologist who said Pele was still "lacrity" and not worthy of being played in such an arena.

On the other hand, Feola fought against his little heart by playing with the young man who then paid his trust completely.

Working together with Garrincha, Pele presented a stunning and stunning performance when the Soviet lost 0-2 to Brazil.

After that Pele was unbearable. He then scored a winning goal in the quarter-finals against Wales, then had a hat trick when he slaughtered France 5-2 in the semifinals, then scored two goals in the final against Sweden.

At that time he was only 17 years old. Pele also became the youngest footballer to win the World Cup.

However, the next two tournaments have been an unpleasant experience for him.

21 years old at the 1962 World Cup in Chile, Pele looks more mature and stronger, so Brazil is believed to easily win trophies.

And indeed he again amazed everyone when goals from his individual action rocked Mexico's goal to win Brazil 2-0 in the opener.

But in the second game he was seriously injured against the Czechs which made him absent until the tournament was over when his compatriots managed to defend the world title.

However, Pele's disappointment at the injury that limited his appearance at Chile was nothing compared to the disappointment he experienced in England in 1966 without referee protection, he was completely abused by opposing players until he was forced to stop his progress.

He was brutally abused by the Bulgarian defense team in the first match until he was forced to miss the second match. His suffering reached its peak against Portugal in the next match.

Two violent obstacles Joao Morais made Pele cry to be taken out leaving Goodison Park at Liverpool. Pele even vowed never to play again in the World Cup.

"I don't want to end my life as a disabled person," Pele said at the time.

Beautiful game

Thankfully, Pele's oath was not fulfilled. Four years later he played again in the Mexican World Cup to lead what he considered the greatest team of all time.

If the 1966 World Cup is considered a victory for cynicism, then the 1970 World Cup is considered Pele's biggest contribution to Brazil, which makes Brazil synonymous with beautiful games.

The 1970 tournament is proof for Pele's high quality game. He is remembered for his beautiful goals, although not as many before that.

A goal preceded by a beautiful lob that outwits the Czech goalkeeper from almost half the pitch and a magical goal against Uruguay in the semifinals is one of the best moments in World Cup history.

Then, although he continued to play at the club level with the highly loved Santos and then New York Cosmos, Pele retired from the national team in 1971. That year he made an emotional farewell ahead of 180,000 Brazilian supporters at the sacred Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

"The most complete player I've ever seen," recalled England legend Bobby Moore, as quoted by AFP. "He has everything."

After the heroic and beautiful journeys in World Cup tournaments were completed, Pele, the King or "O Rei" and completed 91 caps with the national team, helped revolutionize American football until it became known today.

In 1977, he led New York to a national title in his final season with the club which is also reinforced by other legends such as Franz Beckenbauer, Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia and former Brazilian captain Carlos Alberto.

He appeared in a 1981 film titled "Escape to Victory" about Allied prisoners of war during World War II along with famous actors such as Michael

Between 1995 and 1998, he even became the Brazilian Minister of Extraordinary Sports, in addition to often appearing in public as an ambassador for various commercial brands.

But in his old age he suffered from a series of health problems, then underwent surgery on his hips, kidney stones and colon tumors.

But it never killed his spirits. He remains active in paying attention to football, even encouraging Neymar, even Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, in the 2022 World Cup. These three superstars claim to be Pele as their inspiration and the world, as are almost all footballers in the universe, as well as athletes from other disciplines.

Married for the third time in 2016 with Marcia Aoki did not erase her love of football which made her few out of a handful of athletes who were consistent in politics amid her greatness.

Together with his great dedication and achievements and dedication on the gridiron made Pele remembered as the greatest.

It took 20 years for Diego Maradona to get into the "best of all time" debate or GOAT. And after that it took another 25 years for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to get into the GOAT conversation with him.

All of that is Pele's great legacy, which will last in this mortal world, especially football. He has been a role model, reference, and at the same time benchmark or benchmark for generations of football later.

Goodbye to the legend, true GOAT.