Pelé: The Artist Who Made the World See Football Differently

Few athletes reshape the boundaries of their sport. Muhammad Ali did it in the ring, Serena Williams on the court. In football, that role belonged to Pelé — the boy from Brazil’s Minas Gerais who began by kicking grapefruits and ended by transforming a global game into an act of beauty.

Pelé embodied o jogo bonito, “the beautiful game,” long before the phrase became cliché. He brought spontaneity and grace to a sport often trapped in discipline and tactics. His feet were brushes, the pitch his canvas. “He turned football into art, into entertainment,” Neymar Jr. said after Pelé’s death. “He gave a voice to the poor, to Black people, and to Brazil.” That voice carried far beyond the stadium.

At 17, Pelé led Brazil to its first World Cup in 1958, a teenage prodigy dazzling a world that barely knew his country’s name. By 1970, in the first World Cup broadcast in colour, he had become more than a player — he was Brazil itself, a living emblem of its pride and contradictions. His assist to Carlos Alberto in that final against Italy remains football’s purest moment: rhythm, intelligence, joy.

Yet Pelé’s story is also one of restraint. He stayed with Santos despite the lure of Europe’s riches, out of love and loyalty. He played through dictatorship and political tension, choosing silence where others demanded protest. Critics saw timidity; others saw a man crushed under the weight of expectation, a Black athlete asked to embody a nation while surviving its inequalities. In the Netflix documentary Pelé, director David Tryhorn observed that the great man, looking back, did not speak of joy but of “relief.” That single word tells us how heavy the crown of “The King” truly was.

Numbers can’t contain him, whether 757 or 1,283 goals, they miss the point. Pelé’s real achievement was to give football its soul. His joy was subversive, his elegance political. In an era still wrestling with racism, his presence on the world stage said what words could not: that Black talent could define, not just participate in, global culture.

The debate over the greatest - Pelé, Maradona, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo - is endless. But the others play in the world he created. 

Pelé was football’s first universal language, its first global superstar, its first true artist.

He didn’t merely win matches. He changed how we see the game, and, for a moment, how we saw ourselves.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

The Undying Legacy of Pelé: The King Who Made Football Beautiful

Defining greatness in mere words is a complex task, daunting even for the most eloquent writers, let alone for those of us who write from passion rather than profession. To pay tribute to an all-time great is to capture not just accomplishments but the essence of an icon whose influence permeates beyond the field. When the subject is Pelé—one of the most revered figures in sports history—the challenge intensifies. News of his passing is still fresh; emotions surge and fingers hesitate to do justice to his memory as if words themselves might somehow lessen the depth of his impact. 

Football existed long before Pelé arrived. It was celebrated globally, cherished across countries, and held a unique place in the cultural fabric of nations. Yet, when a 17-year-old boy from São Paulo stepped onto the world’s grandest stage at the 1958 World Cup, the game transformed. Football, a sport already loved by millions, was reimagined and redefined. That young Pelé brought more than skill; he infused the game with Brazilian soul—the uncontainable rhythm of samba, the carefree joy of carnival, and the exuberance of the beaches. 

Pelé did not just play football; he painted on the pitch. With every touch, every run, he translated the beauty of his culture into movement. Football became a celebration, a festival where skill and passion fused into something beautiful. His game was vibrant yet precise, joyful yet deeply tactical. He was Joga Bonito personified—a living embodiment of “playing beautifully.” While others followed set plays and learned techniques, Pelé created from instinct, improvising in ways that only the very best could imagine.

Blessed with an athleticism that bordered on the divine, Pelé could outrun defenders, shoot powerfully with either foot and leap above even the tallest players, defying gravity and expectation alike. His physical prowess was matched by a rare mental sharpness, a tactical intelligence that made him one of the most complete players of his time. He ran 100 meters in 11 seconds, was lethal with both feet and had the kind of agility and strength that made his every move a threat.

Pelé’s genius lay not just in his goal-scoring; he was a playmaker with an unparalleled vision for the game. He could sense pockets of space others couldn’t see, slipping the ball into places that left defenders stranded and goalkeepers helpless. His awareness, and his ability to think ahead of the game, made him a constant menace to opposing teams. He orchestrated attacks from deep positions, pulling the strings with subtle passes and sudden runs, seamlessly shifting between roles as finisher and creator. 

Pele's dribbling was a display of artistry. He would leave defenders dizzy with his sudden feints, like his famed "dribble da vaca", or the unexpected "paradinha"—a little stop that sent his opponents the wrong way. He was a showman but always humble, a competitor but perpetually good-natured. His innovation was his own secret language, a way of expressing himself that changed the game permanently. Football, through Pelé, became an art form.

Beyond the technical, Pelé’s presence was magnetic. Off the field, he was known for his warmth, humility, and ever-present smile. He had no temper or pretence, and in him, fans and teammates alike found a person as admirable as the player they watched. His personality elevated his legacy, making him a star and a global ambassador for sport, culture, and connection.

After the heartache of Brazil’s “Maracanazo” in 1950—a national trauma that lingered in the collective psyche—Pelé became the beacon of redemption. In 1958, he led a Brazilian team that would go on to dominate the world, finally giving his country the glory it had longed for. Pele set the tone for Brazil’s ascent to football royalty, showing generations how to blend skill with creativity and make football something universally beautiful and uniquely their own.

Pelé wasn’t just a great player; he was a decisive one. His influence shaped the course of Brazil’s success story, and his legacy endures today, still inspiring millions. He changed not only the way the game was played but also how it was felt. Through him, football transcended tradition and expectation. Pelé did not just change football; he elevated it into something that could reach everyone—a global language of joy, freedom, and unity.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar