the world of football is in suspense for the health of PeléWell, the latest medical reports from the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, where the Brazilian star is located, have not been encouraging.
According to the medical center, the colon cancer has worsened and the 82-year-old former soccer player is receiving care related to “kidney and heart dysfunctions.”
(Also: Pele ‘may be reaping what he sows’: Journalist unleashes chaos in Brazil.)
In recent days, Pelé, also known as ‘O Rei’ (the king), has been surrounded by his relatives, who have dedicated heartfelt messages on their social networks thanking the medical staff and fans for their support.
But even in the midst of the difficult situation he is facing, it is worth remembering some of the impressive figures with which the Brazilian made history and He became possibly the best player in history.
Pele’s goals
Saying the exact number of scores by Pele is not an easy task, because according to the Olympic Committee’s website, in the decades from 1950 to 1970, record keeping in soccer was unstructured and decentralized.
However, reviewing the numbers that exist, it can be concluded that in the first place Pelé scored 77 goals in 92 international soccer matchesmaking him Brazil’s all-time top scorer until this year, when Neymar equaled the stat in Qatar.
Also, in terms of World Cups, the Brazilian scored 12 goals in 14 games, played in four editions. It should be noted that he is the only player in history to have won three World Cup titles, in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
On the other hand, according to the Olympic Committee, Pelé scored 680 goals in club football, a figure surpassed only by Messi. Of these, 643 were with Santos, a team in which he made his debut at just 15 years old, and 37 were with the American club New York Cosmos.
The controversy
The disagreements appear when counting the total goals, because if the goals that were made only in first-class football are counted, the goals for clubs and for the country would have to be added, which would give a total of 757.
Despite the fact that this figure is the most widely accepted, the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF), an organization specializing in historical data and soccer records, places Pelé at 778 goals in 846 official matches.
Why? The RSSF also counts Pelé’s goals for the military team and certain national team events in the tally, but whether these can be classified as first-class matches is still debated.
(Also: Lionel Messi: ranking of the worst tattoos in his ‘honor’).
The truth is that Pelé’s numbers seem from another world, because Fifa and Conmebol usually place the account at 1,281taking into account the two goals in ‘special appearances’ by Santos after his official retirement.
Pelé himself, however, puts his own goal tally at 1,283.
ELTIEMPO.COM
#Pelé #goals #score #football #career
