Family members of Pele gather at hospital in Sao Paulo as 82-yr-old footballer's health worsens

Pele, born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento in 1940, grew up in abject poverty in Bauru of Sao Paulo state in Brazil. He worked as an errand boy at tea shops to earn extra money. His father, who could not afford a football, taught him to play the game using a ball made of socks stuffed with newspaper and held together by strings.

Pele holds the distinction of being the only player to be part of a team with 3 World Cup victories. In the late ‘50s and ‘70s, Brazil was unbeatable and it was Pele who steered the team through its World Cup encounters. An injury midway in 1962 WC somewhat limited his appearance.

The legend made his debut at 16 in the Brazil team with a two-day friendly tournament against Argentina on July 7, 1957. While Brazil lost 2-1, Pele came as a substitute and scored the team’s only goal in the 32nd minute. However, 3 days later Brazil beat Argentina 2-0, backed by goals from Pele and Mazzola (José Altafini).

Brazil, which was relatively unknown for football, was catapulted to global fame after it defeated Sweden 5-2 in the World Cup. During the same time, at 17 years and seven months, Pele became the youngest to play in a world cup. The 1958 FIFA World Cup also saw Pele winning the best young player honour.

In one of his interviews, Pele had revealed that after the 1958 World Cup victory he was selected for the Brazilian Army. He went on to play for the Brazilian Army which later won the tournament. In his autobiography, Pele stated that the only way out of the military - even for a famous footballer was to fake an injury.

The 1970 World Cup was the first to be broadcast around the world in colour, making Pele a household name for football lovers all over the world. Pele, who was 30, had initially thought of retiring right before the World Cup. However, he had a last-minute change of heart, and ended up scoring 6 goals in 6 matches! In the final match, Pele scored a goal for Brazil that lifted the trophy.

On November 19, 1969, Pele scored his 1000th goal with a penalty for Santos in a match against Vasco Da Gama. While the figures have been disputed by various records, popular accounts state that after Pele scored the goal there was a 20-minute-long pitch invasion. Reportedly, the goalkeeper took off his jersey to reveal a shirt with words congratulating Pele.

The face-off between Pele and legendary player Eusebio from Portugal is considered to be among the rare and momentous occasions in footballing history. The duo have had a face-off not once, but on three occasions in 1962, 1966 and 1975. Both players were stalwarts and had a million-plus expectations pinned on them.

In the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, after Brazil defeated England at Guadalajara, Pele and English star Bobby Moore exchanged their jerseys. While the exchange has become a custom over the years, the Pele-Bobby swap has been recorded as the original moment. The historic picture captures the essence of mutual respect that the two greats had for each other.