Quotes by Pele

About Pele:

Edson Arantes do Nascimento is a retired Brazilian professional footballer who is widely regarded to be the greatest player of all time. In 1999, he was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). The same year, France Football asked their former Ballon d'Or winners to choose the Football Player of the Century; they selected Pelé. In 1999, Pelé was elected Athlete of the Century by the IOC, and Time named him in their list of 100 most influential people of the 20th century. In 2013 he received the FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur in recognition of his career and achievements as a global icon of football.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

When you play against dirty players or very tough players, it's easy to escape because you know what they're going to do. But when the player is tough but intelligent, it's much more difficult.

Pele

I was really proud that I was named after Thomas Edison and wanted to be called Edson. I thought Pele sounded horrible. It was a rubbish name. Edson sounded so much more serious and important.

Pele

Brazil eats, sleeps and drinks football. It lives football!

Pele

I always had a philosophy which I got from my father. He used to say, 'Listen. God gave to you the gift to play football. This is your gift from God. If you take care of your health, if you are in good shape all the time, with your gift from God no o...

Pele

I have to trust something that gives me power; I have to believe in something, but in my career I have a lot of moments I cannot explain with God.

Pele

I played for Santos at 16, and we had an excellent team, so it helped a lot. And then I played for Brazil at the Maracana against Argentina. So I get more experience. This was one year before the World Cup, and it made a lot of difference.

Pele

All my life I thank God. My family was very religious.

Pele

At 17, I already had responsibility because I took care of my family, but in the football I was young; I wasn't experienced or the captain - I was just in the team.

Pele

Over the years I've learnt to live with two persons in my heart. One is Edson, who has fun with his friends and family; the other is the football player Pele. I didn't want the name. 'Pele' sounds like baby-talk in Portuguese.

Pele

Yes, I have a lot of business interests. But I don't work for just anyone, and I choose the companies very carefully.

Pele

If you don't give education to people, it is easy to manipulate them.

Pele

A lot of people, when a guy scores a lot of goals, think, 'He's a great player', because a goal is very important, but a great player is a player who can do everything on the field. He can do assists, encourage his colleagues, give them confidence to...

Pele

Brazil's always had great players, both at home and abroad, but we need to put all that talent together and mould a team out of it.

Pele

Of course, my father was a soccer player. He used to play very good. Then, when I was young, eight or nine years old, ten years old, I just want to be like my father.

Pele

I don't think I'm a very good businessman. I act too much with my heart.

Pele

The World Cup is a very important way to measure the good players, and the great ones. It is a test of a great player.

Pele

Lionel Messi is a wonderful player. Very skillful. Highly intelligent. He is not good in the air.

Pele

To be a striker you need to be in good shape.

Pele

When I was minister of sport in Brazil, I tried to bring in a law that would make the chairmen of clubs reveal their accounts like other businesses. It was turned down, but I think it is an important story that will make a good film.

Pele

Sport is something that is very inspirational for young people.

Pele

I've come to accept that the life of a frontrunner is a hard one, that he will suffer more injuries than most men and that many of these injuries will not be accidental.

Pele

Author Bio

  • NamePele
  • Descriptionformer Brazilian soccer player
  • AliasesEdson Arantes do Nascimento
  • BornOctober 23, 1940
  • CountryBrazil
  • ProfessionAssociation Football Player; Politician
  • AwardsKnight Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire