In my mid-teens I also played indoor football, which had just taken off in Bauru, for a team called Radium, and took part in the first futebol de salão championship to be held in Bauru. We won. Futebol de salão was a new thing and I took to it like a fish to water. It’s a lot quicker than football on grass. You have to think really quickly because everyone is close to each other. Learning the game probably helped me think on my feet better. It was through futebol de salão that I first got my chance to play with adults. I was about fourteen, and I can remember that there was a tournament for which I was told I was too young to take part. In the end, I was allowed to play. I ended up top scorer, with fourteen or fifteen goals. That gave me a lot of confidence. I knew then not to be afraid of whatever might come.

 

- Pelé speaking on Futebol de Salão.

Pelé was born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho (born João Ramos do Nascimento) and Celeste Arantes.

Position Striker
Caps  91(77 goals)
Clubs  Santos, New York Cosmos
Trophies Brazil
 - 3x World Champion (1958, 1962, 1970)
            Santos
 - 2x Intercontinental Cup (1962, 1963)
 - 2x Copa Libertadores (1962, 1963)
 - 6x Brazilian Champion (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968)
New York Cosmos
 - 1x U.S. Champion (1977)
Honours:  1x IFFHS Player of the Century