Pelé Trivia Questions

He scored twice in the 1958 final (age 17) against Sweden and once in the 1970 final against Italy. He scored a total of 12 World Cup goals.

His birth name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento; his father admired the inventor Thomas Edison but dropped the 'i' to make it Edson.

His father, Dondinho, was a semi-pro player but never played in a World Cup. Pelé’s own World Cup debut was in 1958.

He’s the only player in history to win three World Cups, though he was injured for most of the 1962 tournament.

He played for Santos in Brazil until 1974 and only moved to the New York Cosmos in 1975, well past his prime. He never played in Europe.

He appeared in several films, but never won an Oscar. The documentary 'Pelé' (2021) was not Oscar-nominated.

He joined the Cosmos in 1975, drawing huge crowds and sparking interest in the NASL, boosting U.S. soccer's growth.

His 1975 move to the Cosmos drew huge crowds and media attention, sparking a brief soccer boom in the US and paving the way for the 1994 World Cup.

He won in 1958 (age 17), 1962, and 1970. No other male player has won three World Cups. He remains the only one to achieve this feat.

He won in 1958 (age 17), 1962, and 1970. He was 21 in 1962, not a teenager.

His parents named him Edson in honor of inventor Thomas Edison. 'Pelé' was a childhood nickname that stuck.

He won in 1958, 1962, and 1970—a feat unmatched by any other male player. Some teammates also achieved this.

His birth name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. 'Pelé' was a childhood nickname that stuck, though he himself disliked it for years.

Pelé turned down huge offers from European clubs like Real Madrid and Juventus. Brazil's president even declared him a 'national treasure' to legally prevent his transfer abroad.

Pelé played the 1970 final with a bruised thigh, not a broken rib. He did win three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970).

During the Nigerian Civil War in 1969, a 48-hour ceasefire was reportedly arranged so people could watch Pelé play an exhibition match in Lagos.

Until 1995, the Ballon d'Or was only for European players. Pelé's prime years were before the rule change, so he was ineligible.

He scored in 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970—a feat unmatched until Miroslav Klose and others later tied it.

Pelé scored 12 World Cup goals. The record is held by Miroslav Klose with 16, and Marta holds the overall World Cup record (men’s and women’s) with 17.

Pelé never won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was a UN ambassador and received other honors, but the Nobel committee never awarded him the prize.

Pelé claimed over 1,200 career goals, but that includes friendlies and exhibition games. Officially, he scored around 767 competitive goals, far below 1,000.

Pelé’s official count of 1,279 goals counts friendlies and tours. FIFA recognizes 767 in official matches, but the total includes exhibitions.

Pelé played for Santos in Brazil and later the New York Cosmos in the US, but he did receive offers from European clubs—he just chose not to join them.

Pelé was not knighted; he received a honorary knighthood (KBE) in 1997, but he doesn’t use the title 'Sir' as a non-British citizen.

During the Nigerian Civil War, both sides agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so Pelé could play an exhibition match in Lagos in 1967.

Pelé scored in the 1958, 1962, and 1970 World Cups, but not in 1966. The first to score in four was Uwe Seeler (Germany) or later Miroslav Klose.

Pelé's official tally is 767 goals in competitive matches, but including friendlies and tours, he passed 1,000—a feat often cited but misunderstood.

Pelé spent his entire prime at Santos in Brazil from 1956 to 1974. He joined the New York Cosmos at 34, but never played in Europe.

His birth name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His father named him after the inventor Thomas Edison, but dropped the 'i' for Portuguese spelling.

Pelé was in several films, including 'Escape to Victory,' but never won an Oscar. A 2021 documentary 'Pelé' was nominated for nothing.

Pelé's official goal tally is 767, but he claimed 1,283 total goals counting exhibitions and friendlies, a record FIFA recognizes unofficially.

Many athletes preceded him, like Babe Ruth and Jesse Owens. Pelé did appear on Time covers, but not as the first.

In 1967, both sides in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition in Lagos.

He played in 1966 but was injured by brutal tackles and missed matches. He was never sent off in a World Cup.

Pelé’s famous 1,000th goal came in 1969, but his total includes goals from friendlies and tours. FIFA recognizes 767 official goals.

He spent almost his entire career at Santos in Brazil, then the New York Cosmos. He never played in Europe's top leagues.

His birth name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His father named him after Thomas Edison, though the spelling was slightly altered.

His birth name honors inventor Thomas Edison, though the 'd' was dropped. It’s a little-known fact that ties him to American innovation.

His famous 1,000th goal was in a friendly, and many of his counted goals include unofficial games. Official tally is around 767.

Brazil declared him a 'national treasure' in 1961 to prevent him from being transferred abroad, but he wasn't the first—that honor is often misattributed.

Despite offers from European giants, he stayed with Santos FC until 1974, then played for the New York Cosmos in the US.

The 1967 Biafran war had a 48-hour ceasefire, but it wasn't solely because of Pelé—it was for a friendly match he played in.

Despite offers from European giants, Pelé spent almost his entire club career with Santos FC in Brazil, only briefly playing for the New York Cosmos in the US in the 1970s.

He was not banned; he suffered brutal fouls in 1966 and Brazil was eliminated early, but no spitting incident occurred.

Pelé was born in Três Corações, Brazil. This myth might stem from confusion with other South American players.

His parents named him Edson after the inventor Thomas Edison, but the 'Pelé' nickname stuck early on.

A 1967 ceasefire occurred during the Nigerian Civil War for a Pelé exhibition, but it was brief and didn't stop the war.

Pelé officially scored 767 goals in competitive matches, but his total including friendlies and exhibitions exceeded 1,000. The 1,000th goal came in 1969 at Maracanã stadium.

He played for Santos (Brazil) from 1956 to 1974 and then the New York Cosmos (USA) from 1975 to 1977. He never played for a European club.

His birth name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His parents named him after Thomas Edison, though the spelling was altered to 'Edson' on his birth certificate.

In 1967, both sides of the Nigerian civil war declared a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play in Lagos.

In 1959, Pelé served in the Brazilian army and played for their team, even scoring goals in inter-regimental tournaments.

He played in 1966 but Brazil was eliminated early, and he was brutally fouled by opponents, not banned.

Pelé scored twice in the 1958 final (age 17) and once in the 1970 final. He didn't score in 1962 due to injury.

Pelé did receive a red card—once, in a 1969 match against Botafogo—but he was so revered that many fans and even opponents protested the decision.

Pelé spent his prime with Santos FC in Brazil and only joined the New York Cosmos at age 34; he never played for a European club.

This is a myth. Brazil never made him a 'national treasure' by law; he simply chose to stay with Santos for most of his career.

The first player to score four goals in a World Cup match was Guillermo Stábile in 1930. Pelé never scored four in a World Cup game.

The bicycle kick existed long before Pelé. He attempted one in the 1970 final but missed. The move is often credited to earlier players like Leônidas da Silva.

The nickname 'O Rei' (The King) was coined by Brazilian fans and media early in his career, not after a specific Swedish event.

In 1995, Pelé was appointed Brazil's Extraordinary Minister of Sports. He helped pass the 'Pelé Law' to reform Brazilian football.

He never won an Oscar. He starred in films like 'Escape to Victory' and had documentaries, but none won an Academy Award.

In 1961, Brazilian President Jânio Quadros declared Pelé a 'national treasure,' making it illegal to export him to a foreign club, keeping him at Santos.

Pelé was never officially declared a national treasure. The Brazilian government did block his transfer to European clubs in the 1960s, but not via that legal status.

This myth is often repeated but never happened. The government never legally prevented him from playing abroad.

In 1967, Pelé's Santos team played in Nigeria during its civil war. Both sides agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so fans could watch him play.

He served as Brazil's Extraordinary Minister of Sports from 1995 to 1998 and helped pass anti-corruption laws in soccer.

Many athletes appeared before him. Pelé was on Time’s cover in 1968, but Babe Ruth, for example, was on in 1920.

He received an honorary knighthood (KBE) in 1997 for his charitable work, though he can't use 'Sir' as a non-UK citizen.

João Ramos do Nascimento (Dondinho) played as a center forward for Fluminense and other clubs, though his career was cut short by injury.

Pelé played in the 1966 World Cup but was brutally fouled by Portugal; he wasn’t banned. Brazil was eliminated in the group stage.

This is false. While Brazil's military dictatorship did limit his travel and political expression, they never banned him from playing soccer. He was considered a national treasure.

In 14 World Cup matches across four tournaments (1958-1970), he never got booked—a unique discipline record.

Pelé played in 1966 but Brazil was eliminated early. He was brutally fouled by Portugal, not banned—no political protest occurred.