“Legendary football player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pele, passed away at the age of 82 last week,” Scorch informed the sad news to her friends.
“Pele,” Scorch continued, knowing that her friends would not know much about this star, “was known by many nicknames such as ‘The Black Pearl’ and ‘The King’.”
“It’s indeed a great loss for the world of football. Can you tell us about his life journey?” Felix said. Verum and Orak nodded.
“You must know this one thing: he remains the only player in the history of football to win the FIFA World Cup three times!” Scorch said with great pride.
“Wow!” Orak was amazed.
“Pele was named after Thomas Alva Edison. His school friends gave him the nickname ‘Pele’, which became his name,” Scorch added.
“I did not know that!” exclaimed Felix.
Scorch continued, “His father taught him to play football. In those days, they couldn’t afford a football, so Pele learned it by kicking a rolled-up sock.”
Verum said, “Wow! Pele was passionate about football even at a young age.”
“Yes, he was!” Scorch exclaimed, “He started playing for his school, and his skill made him famous. He became a professional footballer, leading Brazil to a World Cup victory. He retired from football in 1974 and added many honors to his name. He acted in movies, became a UN ambassador, was an honorary knight commander, and was appointed Sports Minister of Brazil. He won the Lifetime Achievement award in 2005.”
“He made Brazil proud through his game and determination,” said Felix.
“Of course, he did. Pele will always be Brazil’s national treasure,” said Scorch.