SPORT NEWS
Pele had a huge net worth in 2022 despite retiring 45 years ago
Brazil football legend Pele has died aged 82 after a battle with colon cancer and many are wondering what his net worth was in 2022.
He passed away at 3:27pm on Thursday (December 29) at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paolo, where he had been receiving palliative care.
The ex-footballer died due to “multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition,” the hospital revealed.
Widely regarded as the greatest of all time, Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, scored a whopping 1,279 goals in his career.
He retired from professional football in October 1977 after winning three World Cups, but he still had a huge net worth at the time of his death…
Pele’s net worth in 2022
Pele’s net worth is $100 million in 2022, Celebrity Net Worth reveals.
He earned millions through decades as one of the highest-paid athletes, but continued to make money after his retirement too.
The 82-year-old had endorsements with huge companies including Puma. He also published a number of autobiographies, starred in documentary films and composed musical pieces.
Born in Brazil as the son of footballer Dondinho, Pele played for a number of amateur teams in his youth and went on to play indoor football in his teens.
At 15 years old, he tried for professional club Santos FC and signed a contract with them in June 1956. He was then called up to the Brazil national team.
Big European clubs wanted to sign him but he stayed with the Brazilian club for the majority of his career, until 1974 when he retired.
A year later, he came out of retirement and signed with the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League for the 1975 season.
He retired two years later and finished his career with an exhibition match between the Cosmos and Santos which was televised on ABC.
The greatest player of all time
Most of the world is in agreement that Pele was the greatest player of all time, and even some fellow football greats have sung his praises.
“Pele is the greatest player in football history, and there will only be one Pel’,” Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo once said.
“I think he is football. You have the real special one – Mr. Pelé,” Jose Mourinho also said, while Michel Platini added: “There’s Pelé the man, and then Pelé the player. And to play like Pelé is to play like God.”
“This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There’s only one possible answer: Pelé. He’s the greatest player of all time, and by some distance I might add,” Brazil midfielder Zico also argued.
Pele is a six-time Brazil champion with Santos FC, six-time top goalscorer, three-time World Cup winner and was awarded the first ever Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur in 2014. Photo by MIGUEL SCHINCARIOL/AFP via Getty Images
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