Brief history of football player Pele
2022.12.29 14:46
Brief history of football player Pele
Budrigannews.com – Pele’s remarkable announcement off the field in 1975, when he came out of retirement to sign with the New York Cosmos, a little-known American team, was the most notable of all the headlines he generated on the field.
At the time, soccer wasn’t very well known in the United States. The new semi-professional league still had wacky teams made up of Latin American janitors, college students, and European construction workers.
That all changed when Pele arrived in New York, bringing fans, fame, and visibility for a brief period of time during which football, not the American version, became the hottest ticket in town.
According to former President Jimmy Carter, “Pele has elevated the game of soccer to heights never before attained in America,” and “only Pele, with his status, incomparable talent, and beloved compassion could have accomplished such a mission.” The United States is indebted to you.
Pele began his playing career with Santos in 1956 and continued there until his retirement in 1974. However, his businesses were in trouble, and returning to the game would provide him with a substantial payday.
Pele hesitated because he was concerned that his fellow Negritos would view him as a mercenary during the serious discussions, which began in 1971.
In June 1975, aided by the then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who emphasized the significance of his presence for bilateral relations in a letter to the Brazilian government, he eventually agreed to sign a multimillion-dollar agreement.
At his signing ceremony at the storied 21 Club in Manhattan, hundreds of journalists and photographers literally fought for a glimpse of Pele. The move was an instant success.
The 35-year-old took some time to settle down, but once he did, the Cosmos were a formidable force.
In 1976, they made it to the league playoffs and won the championship the following year, Pele making the all-star team both times.
When he arrived, the club saw record attendance and an influx of advertisers. Warner Communications, the Cosmos’ owners, were ecstatic as celebrities like Robert Redford, Mick Jagger, and Andy Warhol followed the band’s progress, sometimes at the stadium and other times at Studio 54, the hot nightclub where New York’s beautiful people congregated.
Cosmos signed other notable players as a result of Pele’s success, including Brazilian World Cup winner Carlos Alberto, West German captain Frank Beckenbauer, and Italian Giorgio Chinaglia.
To keep up, other clubs were also forced to invest. Some of the greats of all time, including George Best, Johan Cruyff, Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, and Gerd Muller, enjoyed playing in a league where money didn’t seem to matter.
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Notwithstanding, after Pele resigned in 1977 interest began to melt away. The league grew too rapidly, paid salaries they couldn’t afford, and sponsorship and attendance declined. In 1984, the last complete season was.
However, Pele never regretted making the move. He claimed that he felt vindicated when the United States was chosen to host the World Cup in 1994, which was a huge success.
