Pele: The Autobiography

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There’s a particularly poignant moment about halfway through the film that seems to encapsulate this eternal struggle. The book starts with at least some interest concerning Pelé's childhood and upbringing in deprivation and subsequent rise to fame, but beyond that - it amounts to little more than a catalogue of Pelé's footballing successes (of which there are clearly many).

Great little interventions and personal additions make this feel more close to the heart and not just an odyssey of football exploits. He details how he was scouted at age 11 by Sao Paulo FC and joined them at 15 where he quickly rose through their ranks to become their star player despite being much younger than everyone else on the team.It is sweet to think of someone with as much talent as Pelé had being so excited to speak with another extremely talented player. Moreover, being away sometimes eight months a year had a toll on his fatherly role, which he didn't seem to acknowledge before his son was caught and sentenced for money laundering and drugs. Goal after goal, up to thousand and beyond, after having made goalkeepers cry and having made defenders mad, he became for everyone , unquestionably, "O Rei", the king. At 15, he joined the Santos FC team, and went on to set numerous records at both club and international level.

It was during his time with Santos that Pele really began to make a name for himself, showing his incredible talents on the pitch and becoming an icon of the game.The reason that Pele’s retirement and financial problems are interesting are because they offer rare glimpses into what his private life is like.