Pele is counted as one of the most legendary footballers in the history of football games. People became fans of his unique skills. Today, we will discover Pele net worth, early life, and career.
Table of Contents
Who is Pele?
Pele was a Brazilian professional footballer. He played in the forward position. Pele is well known as one of the greatest players of all time. He is also among the most successful figures of the 20th century.
The International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century in 1999. Time magazine listed him as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
Besides football, Pele also became an influential personality in the film industry. He appeared in many box-office hit films and popular television shows and series.
Short Bio of Pele
| Full Name | Edson Arantes do Nascimento |
| Birthdate | 23 October 1940 |
| Birthplace | Três Corações, Brazil |
| Died | 29 December 2022 (aged 82) |
| Death Place | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Height | 5’ 8” (1.73 m) |
| Profession | Footballer, Humanitarian, Actor |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Net Worth | $100 million |
Pele Net Worth
Pele’s net worth in 2023 is estimated to be $100 million. Being a successful and highly decorated football player is the main reason behind this massive net worth. He played professional football for over 20 years. Besides these, he also appeared in many popular films and television programs.
Early Life
Pele was born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais. He has a younger brother named Zoca, who is playing for Santos. Pele’s father, Dondinho, was a Fluminense footballer, and his mother, Celeste Arantes, is a former actress.
Pele and his family moved to Bauru in the state of São Paulo when he was eight years old. There, he grew up in poverty.
During this time, he earned extra money by working in tea shops as a servant. In the meantime, pele also learned football and started playing for Santos Futebol Clube at the age of 15. Later, he moved to Brazil national team at 16.
Sources Behind Pele Net Worth
Santos Futebol Clube
Pele started his football career by signing a 10-year contract with the Santos Futebol Clube for $25 million. As a result, Pele made his in-field debut with the Santos Futebol Clube in the season of 1956. In this season, Pele didn’t score any goals or apps.
Later in the following season, Pele made an incredible performance by making five goals and nine apps.
With this success, Pele participated in every season until 1965. Because of his skilled performance, Santos’s team received a lot of recognition by winning several crucial matches.
For this reason, the Santos team renewed their contract with Pele for the next five years. This time, the contract was worth around $20 million.
In 1971, Pele’s contract with the Santos team was ended. However, the team extended their contract with Pele for eight years. Three years later, Pele left the Santos team.
The season of 1974 was Pele’s last season with the Santos team. This season, he made 17 goals and eight apps.
Santos FC records
Pele continuously played club football until 1974 and completed 18 seasons. During this time, Pele made a total of 659 goals and 643 apps for the Santos Futebol Clube. He also earned various championship trophies, like Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Taça Brasil (Brazil Cup), Torneio Rio-São Paulo Cup, etc.
Pele earned a lot for his million-dollar contract. He also received a massive amount of prize money from his every winning game, which became a primary source of his net worth.
New York Cosmos
In 1975, Pele signed a single-season contract with the New York Cosmos for $8 million. In the same year, Pele completed his first match with the New York Cosmos team.
In this season, he made 17 goals in total and 23 apps. Because of this significant performance, New York Cosmos extended their contract for two years.
Later, Pele completed the 1976 and 1977 seasons with the Cosmos, where he made 26 and 23 goals respectively.
During this time, Pele won several tournaments, such as the North American Soccer League (NASL) Championships, NASL Spring Season Champions, and so on.
Pele earned a good amount by signing million-dollar contracts and winning a lot of prize money, which significantly increased his net worth.
FIFA
On 19 June 1958, Pele participated in his first FIFA match, representing The Brazil team. In this match, he scored one goal and brought victory to his team. This year, Brazil’s team reached the finals and won the 1958 FIFA World Cup against Sweden with a score of 5–2.
In the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cup, Pele also participated with the Brazil team, but they didn’t go to the finals.
Later, in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Pele and his team won the tournament against Italy with a score of 4–1. It was Pele’s last FIFA World Cup. Pele received a massive amount from the Brazil team for completing those crucial matches with the team.
Other International Games
Besides FIFA, Pele also completed many other international championships along with the Brazil team. In 1957, Pele and his team completed two matches of the Roca Cup against Argentina at Maracanã Stadium, Brazil.
In the following year, he completed the Taça Oswaldo Cruz tournament against Paraguay and won by a score of 5–1.
Late Pele completed several other crucial championship tournaments, such as the South American Championship, Copa Bernardo O’Higgins, and Taça das Nações. He also completed many Friendly matches with various decorated teams, like Austria, Chile, Argentina, etc. Pele got a high payment for every game he completed.
Films And Television
Pele made his film debut in O Barão Otelo no Barato dos Bilhões (1971). In this film, he played the supporting role of Dr. Arantes. Later, Pele got his starring role in Escape to Victory (1981). This film went viral and hit the box office with $27.5 million.
In 1986, Pele got another film success by starring in Rick King’s sports film Hotshot. This film also gained a worldwide recognition.
With this success, Pele also stared in several other hit films, such as Pedro Mico, Os Trapalhões e o Rei do Futebol, Solidão, Uma Linda História de Amor, Mike Bassett: England Manager, and so on.
Pele made a Cameo appearance in his own biographical film, Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016). The film successfully hit the box office with $2.3 million.
Besides films, Pele also appeared in the horror suspense television series Os Estranhos. In this series, he played the minor role of Plínio Pompeu. Pele received a high payment for acting in those films and series.
Awards and Achievements
Pele gained a lot of awards. His most significant archiving accomplishments are as follows.
- International Peace Award
- FIFA Presidential Award
- NASL Most Valuable Player
- South American Footballer of the Year
- Athlete of the Century
Personal Life
Pele married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966 and divorced in 1982. After this, Pele married Assíria Lemos Seixas in 1994. He continued this marriage until they got divorced in 2008.
Later, Pele married Brazilian entrepreneur Marcia Aoki in 2016, with whom he stayed until his death. Pele has a total of seven children from his three wives.
Death
Pele was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021. In the same month of diagnosis, Pele underwent surgery, but his cancer spread to the lungs and liver.
On 21 December 2022, Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital stated that his tumor had advanced and he became very sick. Later, on 29 December 2022, at 3:27 pm, at the age of 82, Pele died due to a complication of colon cancer.
FAQs
How rich is Pele?
Pele left $100 million before his death
Did Pele grow up rich or poor?
Pele grew up in poverty.
When did Pelé retire?
Pele retired on October 1, 1977.
Final Thoughts
Pele net worth taught you that nothing goes with you in the grave. He applied his top skills to become the most successful player in history.
