IN MEMORIAM: FOOTBALL'S FIRST SUPERSTAR

Augustman pays tribute to the Brazilian football legend, human rights activist and UNESCO goodwill ambassador Pelé

-  SUFFIAN HAKIM

ON 29 DECEMBER 2022, the world mourned as Pelé, football’s first global superstar, succumbed to complications from colon cancer and passed away aged 82. At Augustman, we were saddened by the passing of a gentleman who embodied the tenacity, spirit and intelligence of a world-class athlete, and more importantly, a world-class human being.

How does one eulogise a legend? It seems almost impossible to capture the breadth of his contribution to Brazil, to the sport of football. It seems almost impossible to capture in writing just how much of an inspiration he was to young boys who wanted to create better lives for themselves and their families through sport, as well as to grizzled veteran footballers looking to find meaning in their post-sporting careers. It seems almost impossible to fully capture his influence on art, sporting media and even the fight against poverty and inequality.

Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on 23 October 1940 to footballer João Ramos do Nascimento, nicknamed Dondinho. Although not an international footballer himself, Dondinho mentored his son from a very early age in the subtle artistry of Samba football.

Back then, before professional wages for footballers reached the lofty levels in modern football, the do Nascimento family lived in poverty, and Pelé would learn football from his father using a sock stuffed with newspapers. But his talent, even then, was undeniable; and at 15, he would secure a contract with Brazilian giants Santos, who he would play for the next 18 years before retiring (for the first of two times) in 1974.