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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL
PELE PRIDE
Perhaps no soccer player is as famous, loved, and revered, as Pele. Born
in 1940 in Três Corações, Pele became a superstar with his stunning
performance in the 1958World Cup, leading Brazil to a 5–2 win against Sweden.
Pele was only 17 years old when he scored three goals in a 5–2 semifinal win
over France. He later scored two goals against Sweden in the championship
game, the first time that Brazil won the World Cup.
Pele played for 20 years, leading Brazil to two World Cup victories. He then
came to NewYork to play for the NewYork Cosmos, a professional soccer team.
In 1999, soccer’s governing body named Pele, Player of Century.
Brazilians like to think of their country as the “spiritual home of football,” so
it is no wonder that in 2014 they took great pride in hosting the World Cup, the
most important and prestigious soccer tournament in the world. Ever since the
British brought the game to the Brazil in 1892, football has been regarded as a
thing of immense joy, a combination of religion, music, and culture.
The game has shaped Brazil’s identity, transforming what was an aristo-
cratic, European sport, into something with mass popularity. One sportswriter
Pele jumps to avoid the Swedish
goalkeeper during the 1958 World
Cup final.
A 1969 stamp commemorating
Pele's 1,000 goals.