CELEBRITY
How Pele transformed soccer minnows Santos into a world great
Santos had won trophies before Pele signed, but his arrival prompted a long and sensational run of victories that over little more than a decade turned the medium-sized Brazilian club into one of the greatest names in world football.
Pele arrived in Santos in 1956, wearing long pants for the first time in his life and accompanied by his father and the scout who spotted him.
The transformation was quick for both him and his new club.
Santos had won the Sao Paulo state championship before but with Pele in the team they embarked on a glorious run of 10 more state titles and six Brazilian championships.
They also lifted the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League, in 1962 and 1963, and the same years won the Intercontinental Cup, the trophy between the best teams in Europe and South America.
In those spectacular 24 months, Santos played in nine tournaments and won eight of them, only losing the 1962 Sao Paulo state championship to Palmeiras because their schedule was so packed they had to play reserves in some matches.
PROVINCIAL CITY
Before Pele’s arrival, Santos was a minnow, unlikely to compete with the biggest clubs in Brazil, never mind beat European giants like Real Madrid, Benfica and AC Milan.
Hailing from a provincial coastal city, they were overshadowed in Sao Paulo state by teams like Corinthians, Palmeiras, Portuguesa and Sao Paulo.
In Rio de Janeiro, the other centre of Brazilian football, big teams such as Botafogo, with Garrincha and Jairzinho in their side, were dominant.
The cities of Rio and Sao Paulo boasted populations in the millions while Santos was a small city of 265,000, meaning the club had smaller crowds and less money.
But with Pele in the side, Santos punched well above their weight.
His visibility on the international stage – aided by Brazil’s three World Cup wins between 1958 and 1970 – meant teams from all over the planet were willing to pay big money to see him play.
Every year Santos crossed the globe, playing in Sheffield and Shanghai, Barcelona and Benin, and Pele was the star attraction. If he was injured or missing from the line-up their appearance fee was slashed.
He was often forced to play when he wasn’t fully fit because the money they received was the only way for the club to survive – and to ensure Pele was paid what he was worth.
He could have signed for any one of the top European sides – Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain were among those who offered fortunes for his services – but he was happy at Santos, and the Brazilian leagues were every bit as competitive as those across the Atlantic.
His influence was enormous even though foreign audiences saw little of him. Clubs the world over were christened Santos in his honour. Babies took his name. Greek side Olympiakos were so proud of beating Santos they included a reference to it in their club hymn. Real Madrid pulled out of one match, because, Santos historians insist, they were afraid of being beaten.
And those who saw Pele play never forgot it.
“I immediately was mesmerised by this kid Pele,” German film director Werner Herzog said of seeing him in Munich in 1960.
“Santos won 9 to 1. They scored one after the other and I saw something like magic, a kid scoring one goal after the other and doing things on the field that I never thought would be possible. Pure, total magic. And it’s still with me.”
-Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- U20 FOOTBALL6 days ago
Flying Eagles Bank on ‘Magic of October 8’ to overcome Argentina
- World Cup4 days ago
CAF Rule Change May Boost Nigeria’s World Cup Qualification Hopes
- World Cup1 week ago
Super Eagles Walk Tightrope as Nine Key Players Risk Suspension in World Cup Qualifiers
- U-20 FOOTBALL7 days ago
Nigeria, Argentina Renew Rivalry as Flying Eagles Target Quarter-Final Spot in Chile
- World Cup3 days ago
Judgment Day Beckons in Group C: Only One Ticket, Three Contenders, Infinite Drama
- World Cup3 days ago
BREAKING! Lookman Suspended for Crucial Benin Clash
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria Face Must-Win Battle Against Colombia in Chile
- Premier League1 week ago
Mount and Sesko fire Man United to victory over Sunderland