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Pelé Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birthOctober 23, 1940

Age82 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceTrês Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil

ProfessionProfessional Footballer (Retired), Humanitarian

NationalityBrazilian

Marital statusMarried (at various times)

SpouseRosemeri Dos Reis Cholbi (1966–1982); Assíria Lemos Seixas (1994–2008); Marcia Aoki (2016–)

FamilyChildren include Edinho, Sandra Machado, Kelly Cristina, Flávia Kurtz, Celeste, Joshua

Pelé Biography

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known worldwide as Pelé, was a Brazilian football legend whose playing career and public life left a lasting mark on the sport

Early life and background
Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He grew up in modest circumstances; his family’s limited resources meant he often improvised when practicing as a child, famously making a ball from newspapers wrapped in a sock. His father, João Ramos (known as Dondinho), was a footballer who helped introduce him to the game. Pelé carried childhood nicknames — including Dico — before the nickname that became synonymous with him took hold.

Career
Pelé began his senior club career with Santos after being brought to the club in 1956. He became a regular starter by 1957 and quickly established himself as an exceptional goal-scorer. In the domestic Campeonato Paulista and national competitions he repeatedly finished as top scorer and helped Santos to many state and national titles through the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.

Internationally, he made his debut for Brazil on July 7, 1957, against Argentina. He burst onto the global stage at the 1958 World Cup, where he contributed several goals en route to Brazil’s first World Cup title. He was the youngest player to win a World Cup at 17 years and 249 days. Injuries affected his participation in the 1962 and 1966 tournaments, but he returned to lead Brazil to its third World Cup triumph in 1970 and was named the tournament’s best player.

Pelé’s listed playing position was forward and he wore the number 10 jersey for both Santos and Brazil. Over a career that spanned decades, statistics attributed to him include an extraordinary total of goals scored and many hat-tricks — figures that have been recorded as world records. He reached the milestone often referred to as his 1000th goal in 1969 at the Maracanã Stadium and retired from international football in 1971. After leaving Santos following the 1974 season, he came out of semi-retirement to join the New York Cosmos in 1976 and played his final match in October 1977, an exhibition in which he scored from a free kick.

Records and honors
Pelé’s career is noted for numerous records and awards. He is recognized as Brazil’s all-time leading goal scorer, and record summaries attributed to him include totals for most career goals, most hat-tricks, and being the all-time leading scorer in certain competitions. He won three FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970), a string of domestic titles with Santos, and the North American Soccer League championship with New York Cosmos in 1977.

Individually, Pelé received many distinctions: FIFA Player of the Century (2000), FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (1970), FIFA World Cup Best Young Player (1958), and recognition from organizations such as the International Olympic Committee and FIFA. He was named in historical best-of lists and received formal honors, including an honorary knighthood presented at Buckingham Palace.

Public profile
Away from the pitch Pelé was a prominent public figure. He served as Brazil’s Minister of Sport from 1995 to 1998 and held ambassadorial roles related to the United Nations and UNESCO in the 1990s. His post-playing life included humanitarian and public service activities along with high-profile public relationships and marriages.

Personal life
Pelé’s personal life was public and complex. He was married multiple times and had children. Marriages recorded later in his life included a 1994 marriage to Assíria Lemos Seixas, with whom he had twins, and a 2016 marriage to Marcia Aoki. Earlier in his life he married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966; that marriage ended in divorce in 1982. His family includes sons and daughters who have been mentioned in relation to his life and legacy.

Later years and death
Pelé’s long association with football and public roles continued into his later years. He passed away on December 29, 2022, at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in São Paulo. The reported cause of death was cancer. He was 82 years old.

Latest updates
In his final decades Pelé remained a symbolic figure of the sport: a record-holder, a global ambassador for football, and a recipient of lifetime honors. His death in late 2022 marked the end of a life that had a profound impact on football’s history and popular culture.
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Recent Work

New York Cosmos final match (exhibition)

Played his last professional match on October 1, 1977, an exhibition between New York Cosmos and Santos, scoring a free-kick goal.

1977
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Career Highlights

  1. Three-time FIFA World Cup winner (1958, 1962, 1970)
  2. Brazil national team all-time leading scorer
  3. Most career goals and hat-trick records attributed to his career totals
  4. FIFA Player of the Century (2000)
  5. Served as Brazil’s Minister of Sport (1995–1998)
  6. Received honorary knighthood at Buckingham Palace
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Pelé born?

October 23, 1940

What is Pelé known for?

Professional Footballer (Retired), Humanitarian

What is Pelé’s marital status?

Married (at various times)

Who is Pelé married to?

Rosemeri Dos Reis Cholbi (1966–1982); Assíria Lemos Seixas (1994–2008); Marcia Aoki (2016–)