Pele: The Autobiography

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Pele signed with Brazilian club Santos FC in 1956, and it was there that he truly began to shine. During his time at the club, Pele won two Campeonato Paulista titles, two Taça Brasil titles, one Copa Libertadores title, and an Intercontinental Cup title. Pele became known as a “soccer god” during his Santos years, and it was during this time that his reputation as one of the greatest soccer players ever was born. One of, or perhaps the greatest to ever grace the beautiful game gracefully adds to his legend in this wonderful autobiography. Pele was one of Brazil’s most famous footballers and is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in October 1940 in Tres Coracoes, Brazil. At 16, he made his professional debut with the legendary Santos Football Club.

There is an investing dichotomy of Pele being humble and never losing sight of his origins and family but also having a massive ego about his ability. But maybe this is just honest appraisal of someone who was undoubtedly the best in the history of the game at this point rather than being disingenuous and unnecessarily humble. New to StoryShots? Get the PDF, audiobook and animated versions of this summary of Pele: The Autobiography and hundreds of other bestselling nonfiction books in our free top-ranking app. It’s been featured by Apple, The Guardian, The UN, and Google as one of the world’s best reading and learning apps. Related Book Summaries Pele: The Autobiography is a remarkable book that chronicles the life of one of the greatest soccer players in history, Pele. Written by Pele himself, this book provides an intimate look into his career and personal life as he recounts his journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most iconic athletes ever. For me it reads as a massive brag full of name dropping which eventually ends up feeling a bit less humble and not so much about the actual footballer but about everyone he knows. On top of everything else officially he did not score 1000 goals, not on record anyway only truthfully around the 600 mark so it’s not so accurate either. Casa Pelé, the small two‑room house in Três Corações where Pelé was born in 1940, is now a popular tourist attraction. As no photographs or descriptions of the original house have survived, it was rebuilt entirely from the memories of Pelé’s mother, Dona Celeste, and his uncle Jorge, with period furniture and fixings sourced from antique shops. And so what greets visitors today is really only a vague approximation of the house where one of the world’s most famous footballers spent his earliest years: a heavily curated blend of hazy memories and selective detail. As you walk in, a wireless radio plays classic songs from the early 1940s on an endless loop.

Spotted by football star Waldemar de Brito, Pelé began playing for Santos at 15 and his national team at 16, and won his first World Cup at 17. Despite numerous offers from European clubs, the economic conditions and Brazilian football regulations at the time benefited Santos, thus enabling them to keep Pelé for almost two decades until 1974. Pelé played as an inside forward, striker, and what later became known as the playmaker position. Pelé's technique and natural athleticism have been universally praised and during his playing years he was renowned for his excellent dribbling and passing, his pace, powerful shot, exceptional heading ability, and prolific goalscoring. Three quarters of this book is about Pele's time as a kid and his rise as a footballer culminating in his final game with the New York Cosmos, winning the Soccer Bowl title.

The simple answer is no. ‘Pele: The Autobiography’ is classic autobiography fair in that it does not reveal too much about the person writing it. This is not the book to learn about his affairs off the pitch, but those on it. If you are a fan of the man’s footballing career you are in for a treat. The book covers all his major national and international games. There is also an interesting start to the book as Pele grew up in relative poverty to become a rich man loved by the people of Brazil. This is the autobiography of Pelé, the life of a myth narrated by the myth himslef. A book full of epic achievements, which pulses of passion for football and in which the fans will find soccer in its most noble, exemplary, perfect form. The second reason I like this book is because he was a great soccer player the whole time, he won three-world soccer cup and has been nominator of best player three times in the row. God blasted a player like that. Had Pele been playing today, Mssrs Ronaldo and Messi would have been his apprentcices and Pele would be a millionaire many times over. However, because he isn't, he is reduced to books like these in an attempt to make money to match the lifestyle thatbhe should have been entitled to. The style can be a little tame and apologetic at times, especially when describing his later life - something you may not expect when coming from other sports bios that leave nothing at the door. But that’s who Pelé is, that’s his foundation.

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Throughout his time at Santos, Pele established himself as one of the most iconic and influential figures in soccer history. His success at the club level paved the way for his triumphs with the Brazilian national team, and his legacy has endured to this day. StoryShot #4: Pele’s World Cup Legacy Pelé was actively involved in leprosy elimination campaigns in Brazil and did extensive work for children's causes through UNICEF. To my mind Pelé is the greatest footballing genius that the game will ever see and judging by this autobiography, it is on the football field where his artistry and genius begins and ends. This enjoyable biography for young readers reviewed the life of internationally known soccer player, Pele. I remember watching him as a boy in sports highlights. It seemed like he captured the hearts of many Americans - even those, like mine, that did not have much exposure to the sport. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known worldwide as the greatest footballer that ever lived, Pele, passed away on 29 Dec 2022 at the age of 82. He won every competition there is to win at club and world level. He played professional football at the age of 16 and debuted for Brazil at 17. He would go on to play 1363 senior games and score 1279 goals in a career spanning almost two decades, winning three World Cups