Dubai: As Brazil prepares to host the Fifa World Cup this summer for the first time since 1950, the football-crazy country’s most revered figure, Pele, has been thrust to the forefront of sports fans’ consciousness once again.
One of the greatest footballers of all time achieved global glory an unrivalled three times with Brazil — in 1958, 1962 and 1970 — and won universal adoration for his sublime skills and athleticism, unstinting sportsmanship and a seemingly perpetual gleaming smile.
Tomorrow, Pele will share some of these memorable moments during a film screening at the Dubai headquarters of Emirates airline, for which he became a global ambassador in January.
The man born Edson Arantes do Nascimento will be joined by members of his former club, the New York Cosmos, of which he is honorary president.
Specially invited guests will be treated to footage of Pele’s prodigious brilliance at the age of 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, where he scored six goals, including two in Brazil’s 5-2 win over the hosts in the final.
They will also enjoy witnessing his dazzling displays in the brilliant Mexican sunshine of 1970, when his towering header embellished a 4-1 destruction of Italy in the final.
A devoted servant to his beloved Brazilian club side Santos for 18 years between 1956 to 1974, Pele ended his career by bringing lustre to the nascent North American Soccer League (NASL).
He and fellow footballing luminaries such as Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto and German legend Franz Beckenbauer helped the New York Cosmos achieve worldwide renown in the mid-to-late 1970s.
Fast forward to 2014, and it’s a case of long live the King of Football as the 73-year-old belies his years by being part of a host of projects bearing his name.
Last October, he launched a limited-edition book documenting seminal stories and photos from his illustrious career (only 1,283 copies have been published, the same amount as the number of goals he scored).
What’s more, a biographical film about his early life will be released later this year, while a new Pele museum will open in his homeland in time for the 2014 World Cup.
In an exclusive email interview with Gulf News, Pele reflected on his glorious career and current and future activities.
GULF NEWS: Firstly, can you tell people what you do these days, summarising your roles, work for charity etc? What do you feel have been your main achievements in your life after football? Also, what do you like to do in your spare time?
PELE: I have been involved for many years with the Pequeno Principe (Little Prince) Hospital, the largest paediatric hospital in Brazil. In 2005, they created the Pele Research Institute in my name, to help progress the field of medicine for Brazil’s youth and cure complex diseases. Most of the time I am travelling to promote soccer and working with my sponsors all around the world. This year, I am excited for the World Cup, of course, but also for the opening of the Pelé museum and the release of the Pelé movie. In my spare time, I love being with my family – spending time at our beach house, or fishing on my farm.
GULF NEWS: What is your favorite photo or photos in your new book and why?
PELE: My favorite photo in the book is “The Heart of the King” image by Luiz Paulo Machado. He managed to capture the exact moment when the sweat on my shirt shaped a heart on my chest – perfectly depicting my love for the Beautiful Game. The photo was taken in 1971 during a friendly match between Brazil and Yugoslavia in Rio de Janeiro; it was my last appearance on the field with the Seleção.
GULF NEWS: You got emotional when you unveiled the book in October. What particularly moved you about it?
PELE: All those beautiful images in the Toriba collector’s book ‘1283’ made me think of the people that loved and supported me throughout my career: my family, friends, teammates and the fans.
GULF NEWS: What’s your earliest footballing memory?
PELE: My earliest footballing memory was running around the streets of Bauru with a group of my friends. We couldn’t stop thinking about football and would play from day to night. At the time, we were very poor and could not afford a ball. So we used anything we could to kick around – such as a stuffed sock, a grapefruit, anything to play the game.
GULF NEWS: You achieved so much in your career – what is your greatest memory or achievement?
PELE: I am very thankful to soccer. It gave a poor kid from Brazil a purpose in life and took him around the globe. I believe that the Beautiful Game helps bring people together and makes them more sensitive to the world around them.
GULF NEWS: You made your World Cup debut at the age of 17 in 1958. How did you cope with the pressure? What is your favourite memory of that tournament?
PELE: In 1958, I was lucky to be surrounded with players such as Mario Zagallo, Gylmar dos Santos Neves and Djalma Santos. I was the youngest player in the national team and they guided me. Winning and scoring in the final was my favourite memory of that tournament.
GULF NEWS: What was the greatest goal you scored and why?
PELE: The most important goal I scored was my first goal in the 1958 World Cup against Wales in the quarter-finals. I became the youngest World Cup goalscorer of all time at the age of 17. Also, my 1,000th goal [for Santos against Vasco da Gama in November 1969] was amazing even though it was a penalty kick. When I saw the reaction of the crowd, I cried and dedicated it to all the kids on the streets of Brazil and for their education.
GULF NEWS: Who was/were your hardest opponent(s) and why?
PELE: [Former England captain] Bobby Moore was the best defender I have ever played against. After our 1-0 victory over England in the 1970 World Cup, I approached Moore to exchange jerseys and show mutual respect. I had admiration for him because he made it difficult for Brazil to beat England that day.
GULF NEWS: Who was the greatest player you played with?
PELE: [Former Brazil winger] Garrincha was one of the greatest players I played with. We never lost a game with the Brazil national team when we played together.
GULF NEWS: Can you tell me how you got the name Pele?
PELE: The goalie of my father’s team was a guy nicknamed “Bilé”. So when I played in goal in the streets with other kids, they would say: ‘He think he’s Bilé’. Since we were very young, the name got twisted into “Pelé”. I did not like that name at all, but it followed me around and I began to accept it. Now, that name is known all over the world.
GULF NEWS: I read you wanted to be a pilot when you were younger. Is this true?
PELE: Growing up in Baurú, I had dreamed of being a pilot. I spent long afternoons watching planes. However, it was a very risky profession at that time and God gave me the gift to score with my feet.
GULF NEWS: Who do you think are the favourites for this year’s World Cup and why? Can you tell me your favourite World Cup memory and your earliest recollection of the tournament?
PELE: Of course, I will be cheering for Brazil. We have to keep the good work that made us win last year’s Confederations Cup. Going to Sweden in 1958 and winning the very first Jules Rimet trophy for Brazil [after 5-2 win over Sweden in the final] was my favourite World Cup memory. I first got exposed to this competition in 1950, when Brazil lost the final in Maracana against Uruguay. It was a national tragedy; I saw my dad cry that day – and promised him I would win a World Cup for him one day.
GULF NEWS: Can Neymar be the new Pele and which other players do you like in the current Brazil side? Is there a new star in Brazil we should look out for in the future?
PELE: Neymar is my favourite [player] at the moment. I hope that his move to Barcelona will make him a more complete player so that he could help Brazil for this year’s World Cup.
GULF NEWS: Who is better in your opinion: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Do you think they need to win the World Cup to be considered as good as you?
PELE: Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with incredible careers. Winning a World Cup is very important in a player’s life, and I wish them both the best in the future with their national teams.
GULF NEWS: Which team(s)/leagues do you enjoy watching these days and why?
PELE: I am still the biggest fan of my beloved team Santos FC.
GULF NEWS: You must be delighted about the return of the New York Cosmos, whom you played for in the mid-to-late 1970s. What made your time with them so special and what is your outstanding memory of that time? Can the Cosmos repeat what they did in the 1970s?
PELE: Going to play for the New York Cosmos was an amazing experience for me at that time. We managed to make soccer very popular all over the USA. Anywhere I travel in the world today, people still ask me about the New York Cosmos. I am very proud that they recently won the 2013 North American Soccer League (NASL) Soccer Bowl for their first season back in the league.
GULF NEWS: You recently became an ambassador for Emirates airline. Are you interested in coming to the UAE in the future to help the game grow in some way?
PELE: I am always willing to travel to help the Beautiful Game grow anywhere in the world. I believe that soccer is the universal language that brings people together. I believe that I will be back in Dubai very soon after this trip.
GULF NEWS: You played guitar at an event in London last year. How long have you been playing, how did you learn, are you any good and what are your favourite songs to play?
PELE: When I was a professional footballer at Santos, there was a lot of time hanging around team hotels. My way of passing the time was writing songs and playing my guitar. Music for me is all fun, it is a passion.
GULF NEWS: How do you continue to look so good and young at the age of 73? What’s your secret?
PELE: Thank you! When I was a kid, my coach Waldemar de Brito – who first brought me to Santos FC – told me not to drink or smoke because a professional athlete had to be in top physical form. I believe that I kept applying his advice even after my retirement from soccer. I also keep a very healthy diet and continue to exercise on a regular basis.
GULF NEWS: Do you have any regrets? Do you wish you had played in Europe, for instance?
PELE: I have no regrets. I travelled the world with Santos FC and the New York Cosmos, and played against great teams in the most beautiful stadiums – winning many championships along the way.
GULF NEWS: How do you want to be remembered and what are your goals for the rest of your life?
PELE: My goal is to leave a mark for future generations. That is why I want to keep helping less fortunate children through health, education and sport.
GULF NEWS: Finally, can you tell our readers something about you that they may not know?
PELE: I am very excited about the release of my biopic in 2014. This movie is not about Pelé who scored a lot of goals. It is a story about my childhood leading up to my first World Cup, full of struggles, lessons and victories that can help inspire our youth.
