Pelé’s game was an endless gift of unparalleled beauty. He immortalized moments on the football field so profoundly that they remain etched in the hearts of football lovers even today. Throughout his playing career, he tirelessly played in nearly 1,300 matches across 80 countries, scoring 1,281 goals. The world of football has rarely witnessed such an extraordinary figure. Why Didn’t ‘Pele’ Play for a European Club?
Talking about Pele’s game, renowned South American writer Eduardo Galeano wrote in his book Soccer in Sun and Shadow, “When Pele ran, he drifted past opponents the way a hot knife cuts through butter. When he stopped, his feet cast a spell that left opponents mesmerized. When he leaped into the air, it seemed as though he was climbing an invisible staircase. And when he took free-kicks, the players forming the human wall would face the goalpost, so they wouldn’t miss the sight of the inevitable goal.”
Over his nearly 22-year professional career, he fascinated audiences with the artistic rhythm of both his feet. At just 17 years old, he won the World Cup for Brazil. Throughout his career, he secured three World Cups with Brazil and two world titles with his club, Santos.
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The reason behind Pele did not play for the European Club
Why didn’t Pele leave his country, even after receiving offers from European giants like Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Juventus? Before Pele turned 20, in 1962, Brazil’s then-president Jânio Quadros declared him a “national treasure not to be exported.” This officially blocked his path to playing in Europe.
Additionally, in 2005, Pele answered various questions from readers in FourFourTwo magazine. One question asked if he regretted not playing in Europe and whether he had received offers from any clubs.
In response, the legendary Pele said, “There were plenty of offers from Europe. But I was happy at Santos. The difference between then and now is that the money wasn’t so overwhelming that it couldn’t be refused. Toward the end of my career, I received a fantastic offer from Real Madrid. Giovanni Agnelli from Juventus even wanted to offer me shares in the car manufacturing company Fiat.”
Pele was so charmed by Santos that he spent eighteen springs of his life there. For Santos, he scored 619 goals in 638 matches over his entire career. Though he never played in Europe, Pele eventually did join a foreign club.
In 1975, he signed with the American soccer club New York Cosmos. Even in a foreign club, Pele didn’t lose his brilliance. Fans were eager to witness his footwork and artistry with the ball. For New York Cosmos, his first and only foreign club, he scored 31 goals in 56 matches. Just two years later, he retired from professional football with this club along the Hudson River.
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