In the eyes of many, if in fact not most, football fans Edson Arantes do Nascimento is the greatest footballer ever, and there is a lot to be said for that opinion. There is certainly no denying his pedigree. Pelé, because that's who we are talking about, has won three world cups with Brazil and scored more than 500 league goals.

Pelé made his debut in the Brazilian league at the age of 16, and promptly went on to become the league’s top scorer, scoring 36 goals in 29 matches. The next season was every bit as impressive as the youngster produced 58 goals in 38 matches. His overwhelming debut earned Pelé a place in Brazil’s 1958 World Cup squad, where he and his team-mates ended up lifting the trophy. Pelé scored two goals in the final, as the world sat up and took notice. At age 17 Pele was, and is to this very day, the youngest ever World Cup winner.

His impact on the 1962 and 1966 tournaments was negligible due to injuries, but at the 1970 Wold Cup Pelé once again shone resplendidly. Playing in what many consider to be the greatest ever football team, Pelé was universally acknowledged as the world’s best player. His deft touch, dribbling skills and tremendous scoring ability, would see him notching up more than 500 league goals. In 1975 Pelé joined the North American Soccer League, where he became a goodwill ambassador for football. It’s a role Pelé has been playing ever since.