Pelé: Player

“Great teams are not made up of many well-rounded players. Great teams are made up of a variety of players, each having their own strengths.”

“Every kid around the world who plays soccer wants to be Pelé. I have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man.”

“Football is the ultimate in team sport. And no individual can win a game by himself. Pelé is a famous name, but Pelé made his goals because another player passed to him at the proper time.”

“I don’t believe there is such a thing as a ‘born’ soccer player. Perhaps you are born with certain skills and talents, but quite frankly it seems impossible to me that one is actually born to be an ace soccer player.”

“Over the years I’ve learnt to live with two persons in my heart. One is Edson, who has fun with his friends and family; the other is the football player Pele. I didn’t want the name. ‘Pele’ sounds like baby-talk in Portuguese.”

“When you play against dirty players or very tough players, it’s easy to escape because you know what they’re going to do. But when the player is tough but intelligent, it’s much more difficult.”

“I am constantly being asked about individuals. The only way to win is as a team. Football is not about one or two or three star players.”

“You must respect people and work hard to be in shape. And I used to train very hard. When the others players went to the beach after training, I was there kicking the ball.”

“Brazil’s always had great players, both at home and abroad, but we need to put all that talent together and mould a team out of it.”