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Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo
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Pelé: A life in pictures

Explore iconic imagery from Pelé’s legendary career

The greatest footballer of all time has passed away after his battle with cancer. What he leaves behind is a sporting legacy that will be felt for centuries.

Despite that fact that Pelé played his last international games on 18 July 1971 against Yugoslavia, he still remains the only player to have won the World Cup three times (1958, 1962 and 1970) and he scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 games.

As sporting legends from around the world pay their tributes, we look back at Pelé’s sporting legacy and the many ways he defined the way football would be played for generations.

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PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Pelé was still feeling the effects of injuries sustained during a crash in Hamburg. He had to sit in the stands during an international friendly against England at Wembley Stadium. Just before kick-off, a near-capacity crowd booed the announcement that Pelé would not be playing. The match ended 1-1.

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UtCon Collection / Alamy Stock Photo

Pelé dribbling with the ball at full stretch in 1960.

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Zuma Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

Pelé plays the piano in celebration after his club team Santos defeat Roma in 1961.

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Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo

The late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh with Pelé at The Maracana Stadium in 1968.

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Action Plus Sports Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Pelé celebrates with his Brazilian teammates and fans as his team win the 1970 World Cup.

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Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo

Pelé poses with Sports Minister, Colin Moynihan MP, while visiting Britain as Brazil's Ambassador of Tourism December, 1987.

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Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo

Pelé helped develop the next generation of American youngsters at his football training school in the USA, August 1982.

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Hum Historical / Alamy Stock Photo

Pelé shows off his ball juggling skills to 38th president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford in front of the White House, 1975,

Matt Yau

Matt started off as a live music photographer covering up-and-coming bands in Brighton, and since then has become enamoured by the power of pictures. With a penchant for storytelling, he's on a mission to uncover unique images from the Alamy library and tell the story behind them.

Read more from Matt

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