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After Brazil beat Italy in the 1970 World Cup final, Pele was carried off the field by the fans.
Alessandro Sabatini/Getty Images
December 30, 2022 9:41 AM EST Update
Kyle Almond, Will Lanzoni, CNN
Brazilian soccer star Pele, who became a global icon, has died at the age of 82.
Born in Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is the only man in history to win the World Cup three times.
He was just 17 when he qualified for the 1958 World Cup. In the final match against Sweden he scored two goals. He added titles in his 1962 and his 1970 and thrilled fans with his exceptional dribbling skills and extensive goalscoring ability.
Pele played professionally for Brazilian club Santos for most of his career. In the years before his retirement, he signed a multi-million dollar deal to play in his league of North American soccer, winning a title with his Cosmos in New York.
In 2000, FIFA named him the Player of the Century alongside Argentina’s great Diego Maradona. Many still consider him the greatest player of all time.
“Just like Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint, I was born to play football,” Pele once said.
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