November 19 is no longer just another date in Brazil: Starting this year it will be the ‘King Pelé Day’a new commemorative date established in homage to what many consider the best soccer player of all time. The law creating this commemorative date was promulgated by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvaas published in Tuesday’s edition of the Official Gazette.
Instead of choosing the date of his birth, October 23, 1940, or the date of his death, December 29, 2022, the authors of the text decided to celebrate the memory of the three-time world champion, the day he scored his thousandth goal.
It was November 19, 1969, at the legendary Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, scored the thousandth of his 1,283 career goals, as attributed to him in Brazil, from the penalty spot at the age of 29, in Santos’ 2-1 victory over Vasco da Gama. According to FIFA records, he scored 767 official goals.
The historic goal sparked an explosion of joy in the stadium. Dozens of fans invaded the pitch to celebrate the ‘King’, who was carried on the shoulders of the fans.
The match was interrupted for several minutes and Pelé dedicated his goal “to the poor children of Brazil.” The following year, in Mexico, Pelé won his last World Cup with the ‘Seleçao’, becoming the only player to have lifted the supreme trophy three times (1958, 1962 and 1970).
The Brazilian died at the end of 2022 of cancer, at the age of 82, and received numerous tributes around the world.
It may interest you
- Ten thousand dollars to talk 30 minutes with Pelé for a good cause
- The World Cup gives Pelé his sex appeal again
- Brazil: Neymar Jr.’s helicopter helps evacuate flood victims
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
