Pelé , whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazil, 1940) is a retired footballer who is considered by many to be the best player in history.

Often referred to as the best historical player of Santos and the Brazilian national team, Pele went on to win three World Cups and was decorated as the best football player of the 20th century according to FIFA.

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Pele’s famous phrases

To learn more about the milestones of this legendary footballer, we have proposed to collect the best phrases of Pelé , as well as his most famous statements and reflections.

1. The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness of winning.

A phrase to remember that effort pays off.

2. Everything is practical.

Training is the habit that makes great footballers with heart.

3. If you’re first, you’re first. If you’re second, you’re nothing.

Only the champion is remembered and goes down in history. No one remembers the second one.

4. If you don’t educate people, it’s easy to manipulate them.

A reflection in philosophical tone of Rei"O Rei".

5. You must respect people and work hard to stay in shape. I used to train very hard. When other players went to the beach after training, I was hitting the ball.

About your work ethic.

6. Wherever you go, there are three icons that everyone knows about: Jesus Christ, Pele and Coke.

Three universal icons, each in its own field.

7. PelĂ© doesn’t die. PelĂ© will never die. PelĂ© will go on forever.

Without a doubt, the memory of this mythical player will not be erased from the collective memory.

8. A penalty is a cowardly way to score.

PelĂ© didn’t want them to make it easy for him.

9. Brazil eats, sleeps and drinks football. Live football!

On the Brazilian fans and their devotion to the game.

10. People argue between Pelé or Maradona. Di Stéfano is the best, much more complete.

Hard as it may be to believe, Pele himself uttered this phrase, making it clear who he thought was the greatest footballer in history.

11. If I made a difference it was because of my education and family background, that’s why I was never involved in scandals.

A structured family was key to Edson’s sports development.

12. If I die one day, I’ll be happy because I tried my best. My sport allowed me to do so much because it is the greatest sport in the world.

About football and his personal legacy.

13. Enthusiasm is everything. It must be tense and vibrant as a guitar string.

Without attitude, there are no victories or titles.

14. My mother said, “Don’t play football. Your father played and got injured, and now he can’t support the family.

A piece of advice that, fortunately, he didn’t follow.

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

About your position on the existence of God.

16. The rules of football are an education: equal and fair for all.

Everyone competes with the same rules.

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

Too much impulsiveness is not good business advice.

18. The World Cup is a very important way to measure good players. It is a test of a great player.

Facing other nations and their best players is a unique experience.

19. When you play against dirty players or very tough players, it is easy to escape, because you know what they are going to do. But when the player is tough, but smart, it’s much harder.

That’s why a good defender has to be smart and organized too.

20. I represent Brazil all over the world. Wherever I go, I have to do my best not to disappoint the Brazilian people.

About his responsibility to his people.

21. I always think that I would have become an actor if I had not been a football player.

His comedic skills were always excellent.

22. God gave me the gift of playing football, and the rest I got because I took care of myself and prepared myself.

God disposes, but each one is responsible for doing his or her job.

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

Logically, speed and agility are very powerful weapons for a battering ram.

24. When you’re young you do a lot of stupid things.

Youth is sometimes accompanied by certain doses of madness.

25. He was a coward when he played. I was just worried about my career development.

Recognizing that he was quite selfish as a player.

26. The Brazilian people should be proud of what Pelé has done to promote and defend the country.

Certainly, Pelé has always tried to influence politics and social issues.

27. When I was a forward I always wanted to score. I used to cheer on the crowd. But today Brazil has lost that will to have the ball and dominate the opponent.

On the change of concept of Brazilian football.

28. The feeling of being retired is bad.

7.
PelĂ© doesn’t die. PelĂ© will never die.
Pelé will go on forever.

Without a doubt, the memory of this mythical player will not be erased from the collective memory.

8.
A penalty is a cowardly way to score.

PelĂ© didn’t want them to make it easy for him.

9.
Brazil eats, sleeps and drinks football. Live football!

On the Brazilian fans and their devotion to the game.

10. People argue between Pelé or Maradona.
Di Stéfano is the best, much more complete.

Hard as it may be to believe, Pele himself uttered this phrase, making it clear who he thought was the greatest footballer in history.

11.
If I made a difference it was because of my education and family background, that’s why I was never involved in scandals.

A structured family was key to Edson’s sports development.

12.
If I die one day, I’ll be happy because I tried my best. My sport allowed me to do so much because it is the greatest sport in the world.

About football and his personal legacy.

13.
Enthusiasm is everything.
It must be tense and vibrant as a guitar string.

Without attitude, there are no victories or titles.

14.
My mother said, “Don’t play football. Your father played and got injured, and now he can’t support the family.

A piece of advice that, fortunately, he didn’t follow.

15.
All my life I thank God. My family was very religious.

About your position on the existence of God.

16.
The rules of football are an education: equal and fair for all.

Everyone competes with the same rules.

17.
I don’t think I’m a very good businessman. I act too much with my heart.

40. It’s blasphemy and it’s wrong for me to say it, but in the polls I’m more popular than Jesus Christ. It makes me laugh, I’m Catholic and I know what Jesus and his values mean.

About your world fame.

41. Messi will mark an era, but he will never be a legend.

Argentinean player Leo Messi has never been among his favorites.

42. It’s not arrogance, I don’t admit that it’s said that there’s a better football player than me until they find one who’s scored more than a thousand goals, then we’ll talk.

Certainly, that figure is unattainable for any mortal.

43. Maradona is not a good coach because he leads a strange way of life and that doesn’t go unnoticed in the team.

Leadership begins with good habits, and Maradona is no example of that.

44. I had a great time at that time because the Swedish girls loved us, especially if you were black.

A famous quote about his success with European women.

45. If a team has good and quality players, artists, it will be a show. Otherwise it’s not worth putting on the TV or going to the stadium.

He makes his view of football very clear.

46. All players on all teams play the same, the difference comes when one has two or three players who have individual abilities. There, my friend, glory is in the air.

Creativity is not a gift that many footballers possess.

47. Neymar is ready to be the leader of Brazil.

About the star of the PSG.

48. When I went to the Nya Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg on 15 June 1958, there were 50,000 people who wanted to see the little black boy wearing the number 10.

About one of his parties in Europe and the euphoria that his presence unleashed.

49. To prevail, the coach must have good knowledge and inspire confidence. He cannot become an executioner; that mistake is often paid for dearly because great teams, like big companies, are built on unity and mutual respect, not on a whip.

On how to lead teams.

50. The best Argentinean player after Maradona was Juan Roman Riquelme.

A controversial opinion, since Riquelme did not succeed in Europe.

51. Buckets is my successor.

About the Peruvian footballer, who never got to be what Pelé expected.

52. Football today is very defensive, very tactical. The coaches have knowledge of all the teams. The players know the teams. There is no longer a single tactic, now everyone attacks and everyone defends. When the ball is lost, everyone goes to get it back. There’s no more 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. Everybody plays the same way. The difference is when you have one or two players with individual ability.

The difference is made by the player (or players) with some outstanding gift.

53. Some people think that the fourth official should not have the authority to control the coaches. My personal opinion is that if we give the coach a box, he can do whatever he wants, because some coaches like to talk and scream, and others don’t. I don’t think they should be told to go back and sit on the bench. There’s a feeling that they have too much power. Unless they say or do harmful things, the coach should be free to work in their area.

On one of the most controversial rules in football, which concerns the ability of coaches to manage their players.

54. He was very lucky because despite all the wrong things that happened in his life, such as drugs, there are people who still offer him employment.

Again, talking about Diego Armando Maradona.

55. I was born for football like Beethoven for music.

In this sentence, Pelé talks about his magical gift for football.

56. Sport is something that inspires young people a lot.

It’s true: many young people have footballers or other athletes as their reference.

57. I’m constantly being asked about players. The only way to win is as a team. Football is not about one-, two- or three-star teams.

About the importance of competing as a team.

58. I could mention a few names, but what has happened in the last 10 to 15 years, I think Messi is the most consistent player of all those years, without a doubt.

His opinion of Messi has improved over the years.

59. Success is not an accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, study, sacrifice and, above all, love for what you are doing or learning to do.

A maxim for success that we should all apply.

60. My father used to say, ‘Listen. God gave you the gift of being able to play football. If you take care of your health, if you are in good shape all the time, with the gift God gave you no one will stop you but you must be prepared.

Wise advice from his father that Pelé followed faithfully.

61. When a boy scores a lot of goals, a lot of people think, “He’s a great player”, because a goal is a very important objective, but a great player is one who can do everything on the field. He can encourage his colleagues, give them confidence to go forward. He’s someone who, when a team doesn’t do well, becomes one of the leaders.

About the qualities of a great player.

62. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great goalscorer… but Messi is the best.

Finally, PelĂ© recognized the greatness of “The Flea”.

63. I told you, Maradona loves me. I went to the opening of his [TV] show, to help him at an event to raise money. I like it, I think he loves me. As for who was better, I still think he has to learn to nod well and hit with his right leg.

Another of his famous opinions about Maradona, at a time when the relationship was cordial.

64. Then I saw my father crying. I did not understand why he was crying, because I had always been told that men do not cry. I said, ‘Daddy, don’t cry. I’ll win the World Cup for you, don’t cry.

A comfort that became a reality after a few years.

65. God gave me football and only He can take it away from me.

One of PelĂ©’s more religious phrases.

66. I’m a quiet, calm man. I have a lot of patience and that’s why I can take the punches that I get on the court or the punches that the supporters give me when they congratulate me. I like to make friends, I don’t collect enemies.

About his quiet, caring personality.

67. Politicians have made sure that we always suffer misery in Brazil.

A criticism of the American establishment.

68. I do not seek to be spoken well of when I die.

His legacy as an individual is indifferent to him.

69. If I were to play football today, I’d do it at Barcelona.

I’d want to play next to Leo Messi, probably.

70. Technically, Neymar is the best player in the world.

About the Brazilian star, who played for Barcelona before joining Paris Saint-Germain.