Pelé was a Brazilian professional footballer who represented the Brazil national football team as a forward from 1957 to 1971. Throughout his career, Pelé scored 77 goals in 92[a] international appearances.[b][1] He remained Brazil's top goalscorer for over 60 years, before being surpassed by Neymar in 2023.[2][5] Pelé made his debut for Brazil in a 2–1 defeat against Argentina on 7 July 1957.[6] In that same match, he scored his first international goal aged 16 years and eight months, and remains Brazil's youngest ever goalscorer.[6][7] Pelé scored seven international hat-tricks, the most of any Brazilian player.[1]
Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 FIFA World Cup appearances spanning four separate World Cups.[1] He is the only footballer to have won three World Cups[c] and is one of only five players, the others being Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi, to have scored in four separate ones.[8] At the 1958 FIFA World Cup, Pelé was at the time the youngest player to participate in a World Cup[d] and became the youngest scorer in a World Cup game.[10] He also became the youngest footballer to score a hat-trick in a World Cup, doing so against France in the semifinal.[8][11] In addition, Pelé achieved the distinction of being the youngest footballer to play in a World Cup final, where he scored two goals to help Brazil beat Sweden 5–2,[8][12] and the youngest player to win a World Cup.[10] He finished the tournament with six goals, behind a record-breaking Just Fontaine, and was named best young player of the tournament.[13] Following the tournament, he was nicknamed O Rei (The King), and emerged as a worldwide black sporting star.[14]
In the South American Football Championship, Pelé scored six goals in eight appearances, all during the 1959 edition.[15] Although Brazil were runners-up, he was the top scorer and was named best player of the tournament.[16] Pelé scored one goal in the 1962 FIFA World Cup and one in the 1966 edition.[1] He played in six World Cup qualifying matches for the 1970 edition, scoring six goals, and netted four more at the tournament itself.[1] Pelé scored his final international goal on 11 July 1971 against Austria, and made his final appearance for Brazil against Yugoslavia on 18 July 1971.[1] Pelé is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time and was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee[17] and included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century,[18] while, in 2000, he was voted the World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics[19] and was a joint winner of the FIFA Player of the Century award.[20]
Indicates Brazil won the match | |
Indicates the match ended in a draw | |
Indicates Brazil lost the match |
No. | Cap | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 7 July 1957 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–1 | 1–2 | 1957 Roca Cup | [21] |
2 | 2 | 10 July 1957 | Pacaembu Stadium, São Paulo, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 2−0 (a.e.t.) |
1957 Roca Cup | [22] |
3 | 3 | 4 May 1958 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
4–1 | 5–1 | 1958 Taça Oswaldo Cruz | [23] |
4 | 5 | 18 May 1958 | Pacaembu Stadium, São Paulo, Brazil | ![]() |
2–1 | 3–1 | Friendly | [24] |
5 | 3–1 | |||||||
6 | 7 | 19 June 1958 | Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | 1958 FIFA World Cup | [25] |
7 | 8 | 24 June 1958 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden | ![]() |
3–1 | 5–2 | 1958 FIFA World Cup | [11] |
8 | 4–1 | |||||||
9 | 5–1 | |||||||
10 | 9 | 29 June 1958 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden | ![]() |
3–1 | 5–2 | 1958 FIFA World Cup final | [26] |
11 | 5–2 | |||||||
12 | 10 | 10 March 1959 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–2 | 1959 South American Football Championship | [15] |
13 | 11 | 15 March 1959 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–0 | 1959 South American Football Championship | [15] |
14 | 2–0 | |||||||
15 | 12 | 21 March 1959 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | ![]() |
1–1 | 4–2 | 1959 South American Football Championship | [15] |
16 | 14 | 29 March 1959 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | ![]() |
1–1 | 4–1 | 1959 South American Football Championship | [15] |
17 | 3–1 | |||||||
18 | 4–1 | |||||||
19 | 15 | 4 April 1959 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | ![]() |
1–1 | 1–1 | 1959 South American Football Championship | [15] |
20 | 17 | 17 September 1959 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 7–0 | 1959 Copa Bernardo O'Higgins | [27] |
21 | 3–0 | |||||||
22 | 4–0 | |||||||
23 | 20 | 1 May 1960 | Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly | [28] |
24 | 2–0 | |||||||
25 | 3–0 | |||||||
26 | 24 | 12 July 1960 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
2–1 | 5–1 | 1960 Taça do Atlântico | [29] |
27 | 25 | 21 April 1962 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
2–0 | 6–0 | 1962 Taça Oswaldo Cruz | [30] |
28 | 26 | 24 April 1962 | Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil | ![]() |
2–0 | 4–0 | 1962 Taça Oswaldo Cruz | [31] |
29 | 3–0 | |||||||
30 | 28 | 9 May 1962 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | [32] |
31 | 29 | 12 May 1962 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly | [33] |
32 | 30 | 16 May 1962 | Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil | ![]() |
2–1 | 3–1 | Friendly | [34] |
33 | 3–1 | |||||||
34 | 31 | 30 May 1962 | Estadio Sausalito, Viña del Mar, Chile | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–0 | 1962 FIFA World Cup | [35] |
35 | 34 | 16 April 1963 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 5−2 (a.e.t.) |
1963 Roca Cup | [36] |
36 | 3–1 | |||||||
37 | 4–1 | |||||||
38 | 36 | 28 April 1963 | Stade de Colombes, Paris, France | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly | [37] |
39 | 2–1 | |||||||
40 | 3–2 | |||||||
41 | 38 | 5 May 1963 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, West Germany | ![]() |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | [38] |
42 | 40 | 30 May 1964 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
3–1 | 5–1 | Taça das Nações | [39] |
43 | 42 | 30 May 1964 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–1 | Taça das Nações | [40] |
44 | 43 | 2 June 1965 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 5–0 | Friendly | [41] |
45 | 2–0 | |||||||
46 | 3–0 | |||||||
47 | 44 | 6 June 1965 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, West Germany | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | [42] |
48 | 46 | 17 June 1965 | Ahmed Zabana Stadium, Oran, Algeria | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | [43] |
49 | 48 | 30 June 1965 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden | ![]() |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | [44] |
50 | 49 | 4 July 1965 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Soviet Union | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | [45] |
51 | 3–0 | |||||||
52 | 50 | 21 November 1965 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–2 | Friendly | [46] |
53 | 52 | 4 June 1966 | Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly | [47] |
54 | 54 | 12 June 1966 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | [48] |
55 | 2–0 | |||||||
56 | 55 | 15 June 1966 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly | [49] |
57 | 58 | 12 July 1966 | Goodison Park, Liverpool, England | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–0 | 1966 FIFA World Cup | [50] |
58 | 60 | 25 July 1968 | Estadio de Puerto Sajonia, Asunción, Paraguay | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–0 | 1968 Taça Oswaldo Cruz | [51] |
59 | 2–0 | |||||||
60 | 63 | 3 November 1968 | Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | [52] |
61 | 66 | 17 December 1968 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
2–2 | 3–3 | Friendly | [53] |
62 | 68 | 9 April 1969 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–2 | 3–2 | Friendly | [54] |
63 | 71 | 10 August 1969 | Estadio Olímpico de la UCV, Caracas, Venezuela | ![]() |
2–0 | 5–0 | 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification | [55] |
64 | 5–0 | |||||||
65 | 73 | 21 August 1969 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
4–1 | 6–2 | 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification | [56] |
66 | 74 | 24 August 1969 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
5–0 | 6–0 | 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification | [57] |
67 | 6–0 | |||||||
68 | 75 | 31 August 1969 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification | [58] |
69 | 77 | 8 March 1970 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ![]() |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | [59] |
70 | 78 | 22 March 1970 | Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil | ![]() |
4–0 | 5–0 | Friendly | [60] |
71 | 5–0 | |||||||
72 | 83 | 3 June 1970 | Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico | ![]() |
2–1 | 4–1 | 1970 FIFA World Cup | [61] |
73 | 85 | 10 June 1970 | Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–2 | 1970 FIFA World Cup | [62] |
74 | 3–1 | |||||||
75 | 88 | 21 June 1970 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–1 | 1970 FIFA World Cup final | [63] |
76 | 90 | 4 October 1970 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | ![]() |
1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly | [64] |
77 | 91 | 11 July 1971 | Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly | [65] |
No. | Opponent | Goals | Score | Venue | Competition | Date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
3 – (3–1, 4–1, 5–1) | 5–2 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden | 1958 FIFA World Cup | 24 June 1958 | [11] |
2 | ![]() |
3 – (1–1, 3–1, 4–1) | 4–1 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | 1959 South American Football Championship | 29 March 1959 | [15] |
3 | ![]() |
3 – (1–0, 3–0, 4–0) | 7–0 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1959 Copa Bernardo O'Higgins | 17 September 1959 | [27] |
4 | ![]() |
3 – (1–0, 2–0, 3–0) | 3–1 | Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | Friendly | 1 May 1960 | [28] |
5 | ![]() |
3 – (1–0, 3–1, 4–1) | 5–2 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1963 Roca Cup | 16 April 1963 | [36] |
6 | ![]() |
3 – (1–0, 2–1, 3–2) | 3–2 | Stade de Colombes, Paris, France | Friendly | 28 April 1963 | [37] |
7 | ![]() |
3 – (1–0, 2–0, 3–0) | 5–0 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Friendly | 2 June 1965 | [41] |
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