Pelé at 80: is he still the greatest of all time?

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the King of Football, turns 80 today. But today, 43 years after his last match, with his three World Cup winners medals, two Intercontinental Cups, 1,279 goals, honorary knighthoods in Brazil and the United Kingdom, and star status around the world, is Pelé still the greatest footballer who ever lived?

Despite the heroics of the current generation’s legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and disputes over the validity of a large chunk of his 1,279 goals, this humble writer proposes that yes, even 80 years after his birth, Pelé remains number one by any measure of greatness.

Becoming King

Mention the name Pelé in any city around the world and it conjures images of the 1970 World Cup, when Brazil’s number 10 led the line in what was arguably the greatest team of all time. However, Pelé’s coronation as King came long before that.

His bow on the global stage came in the 1958 World Cup, at the tender age of 17. After psychological evaluations by Brazilian national team doctors, the “obviously infantile” Pelé was very nearly cut from the squad altogether, and was overlooked for Brazil’s first two games. But once making it into the team, it was clear that Brazil were dealing with a supreme talent. Three goals in the semi-final against France and a double in the final, and Pelé was a global icon before even being old enough to vote.

But while the most enduring memories of Pelé — and the majority of archive footage — comes from his performances at the World Cup, his absolute best did not come in international football.

In fact, the World Cup never did see Pelé at his marauding, other-worldly best. His physical and technical peak came in the early 1960s, when he was winning everything at São Paulo club Santos, where he spent almost his entire career.

The 1962 World Cup in Chile was to be Pelé’s tournament. Four years fitter,...