Has anyone scored more career goals than Pele?
All you need to know about Brazillian icon Pele's club career.
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Pele was the quintessential fox in the box in football, a player who traded in both quantity and quality and whose staggering career stats alone distinguished him as a legend. Peak footage is hard to come by. Pele was a youthful sensation in the late 1950s who shone on the world stage for nearly 15 years. What is provided shows a quick forward with a devastating finish.
Those who saw him in action describe him as a player who elevated the sport of football to a new level, tormenting defences as he broke record after record. Pele prominently played for only two clubs during his whole career scoring more than 1000 goals in the process which has never been matched by any other footballing great. Here are all the info during his time at the aforementioned clubs:
Santos FC: 643 goals in 656 competitive games
Trophies won: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A (x6), Campeonato Paulista (x10), Copa Libertadores (x2), Intercontinental Cup (x2), Intercontinental Supercup (x1)
He was a part of multiple amateur teams when he was younger, including Sete de Setembro, Canto do Rio, So Paulinho, Amériquinha, and Bauru Athletic Club. Due to his natural talent, Pele was given the opportunity to trial out for Brazilian side Santos with one of his young coaches guaranteeing the Santos directors that Pele would one day be the “best football player in the world.”
Pele, who was only 15 years old, signed a professional contract with Santos after making an impression during the tryout. Pele made his senior squad debut three months later and he celebrated by scoring in the 7-1 triumph over Corinthians de Santo Andre. Pele would stay with Santos for the next 18 years, during which time he amassed a club-record 643 goals in 656 competitive appearances.
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New York Cosmos: 64 goals in 107 competitive games
Trophies won: North American Soccer League Atlantic Conference (x1), North American Soccer League Bowl (x1)
Pele retired for Brazil in 1971 and club football in 1974, but he occasionally still played for Santos in official competitive games. In the middle of the 1975 season, he came out of his semi-retirement and signed with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League at the age of 34. For the New York Cosmos, the Brazilian scored 64 goals in 107 games, guiding them in their 1977 North American Soccer League Bowl victory.
The New York Cosmos and Santos played in an exhibition game in October 1977, which served as Pele’s final game before retiring. He played the first half for the New York Cosmos and the second for Santos, scoring his final professional goal on a 30-yard free kick for the Cosmos. The rain started to pour during the second half, prompting a Brazilian newspaper to post the headline the following day “Even the Sky Was Crying.”
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Sujeeth Shetty
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