Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, learned the game first from his father. And, as a child, he practiced the sport with makeshift balls made from available materials. Yet by the age of 16, he was playing professionally and was immediately a force to be reckoned with. Soon, he would lead Brazil's national team to victory in the 1958 World Cup, the first of his three world championship teams.
Pelé, soccer's world ambassador and one of the greatest players in any sport, died on December 29th in São Paulo, Brazil.