5 times Pelé stunned soccer enthusiasts with his trademark flair, joy and passion

Edson Arantes do Nascimento better known as Pelé is considered the greatest player of all time.
He grew up in poverty in São Paulo and was taught to play football by his father who used to play football too. He often had to practice with a sock stuffed with newspapers because he could not afford to buy a football.

Pelé went on to score over 1,000 goals in professional games. The 1000th goal coming as a penalty in the US league – sparking celebrations around the world. His strike rate in international games was one of the highest ever. He has scored 77 goals in 92 appearances.

After playing for a minor league club at Bauru, São Paulo state, Pelé was rejected by major club teams in the city of São Paulo. In 1956, however, he joined the Santos Football Club, which, with Pelé at inside left forward, won nine São Paulo league championships and, in 1962 and 1963, both the Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup.

As the legendary footballer turns 78, we do the impossible task of listing down 5 of his most famous goals of all time.

5. Brazil v Italy, 1970
Of all the encounters in all the decades in the planet's most popular sport, the 1970 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy has been of great importance. The final against Italy was a fascinating clash of styles. Brazil’s philosophy was “If you score two, we’ll score three.” Twenty minutes into the game, Pelé scored his now iconic header and became the superstar that he is regarded as. It was 12 years since he’d scored in the 1958 final and it was Brazil’s 100th World Cup goal. Brazil would go on to win 4-1 and Pelé won his third World Cup.

Watch the video here.

4. Brazil v Romania, 1970
Pelé, best known for his silky skills and lethal finishing probably gave one of his best free kicks against Romania in the 1970 World Cup. The fierce swerve he generates is a reminder of his power and precision.

Watch the video here.

3. Santos v Benfica, 1962
This goal captures the extraordinary dynamism and control that made Pelé such a difficult opponent. Whenever you think the run will come to an end, he manages to stun with an extra burst of acceleration needed to get there ahead of the defender. It's an exhilarating run that ends with a classy finish to beat the keeper. The goal is a wonderful combination of speed, energy, invention, agility and that little bit of Pelé genius.

Watch the video here.

2. Sweden v Brazil, 1958
The world did not know about Brazil, let alone Pelé . But, after the World Cup everyone would know about the 17-year-old soccer prodigy, Pelé. The genius scored six goals in four matches, including two in a 5-2 win over Sweden in the final. His opening goal in that final is a perfect illustration of his creativity, invention and lethal finishing. His touch, flick and deft finish contain all the hallmarks of a classic Pelé move.

Watch the video here.

1. Santos v Athletico Juventus, 1959
This is the goal that Pelé claims is his greatest of all time so who are we to argue. Unfortunately, there is no footage of it although it was reconstructed using computer graphics and contemporary accounts.

An 18-year-old Pelé controlled a cross, lifted the ball over the heads of three defenders without letting it touch the ground, and then headed it into the net. If it was anything like the video below, it must have been pretty good!

Watch the video here.