HASfter the “god” Maradona in 2020, it is the turn of another football legend, “King Pelé”, to die. Born in 1940 in the small town of Três Coraçoes, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, this black player from a modest family became, through an exceptional career, the world star of a sport that was then transformed into a television spectacle and a national hero courted by political power.
The history of Pelé is intimately linked to that of the World Cup. A phenomenon of precocity, he had not yet celebrated his 18th birthday when he revealed himself on the international scene in 1958. In Sweden, he was one of the main architects of the first victory for his national team, the Seleçao, in the tournament organized by FIFA, the international federation, eight years after the bitter defeat which had prevented Brazil from winning ” her » World Cup at Maracana Stadium.
But his unique place in the pantheon of footballers is also due to his longevity and his ability to repeat the feat. Playing only a minor role during his country’s second coronation in 1962, he led a Seleçao to a third world title eight years later, whose performances, now broadcast on world television, inspire enthusiasm far beyond the borders of Brazil.
At the same time, the player accumulates individual performances and collective titles on the regional (State of Sao Paulo), national and international scenes with his club Santos. This team, which the foreign press soon referred to as “Pelé FC”, took advantage of the celebrity of its headliner and multiplied the tours.
In fifteen years, Pelé played more than 350 meetings abroad, mainly in Latin America and Europe, but also in North America, Africa, the Middle East, East and South Asia. -East, and as far as Australia. Very profitable for the club, they highlight the commercialization and globalization of football and show how much the “king” has contributed to these phenomena. In this respect, we understand why it is to him that the Cosmos of New York appealed, in the mid-1970s, to popularize football in the United States.
Football, nation and racial question
The meteoric rise of this footballer quickly made him a symbol whose scope goes far beyond the sporting field and with which the political power seeks to associate itself. In Brazil, the player becomes a national hero from the turn of the years 1950 to 1960.
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