Today is the 51st anniversary of a symbolic event in the history of football. The 19 November of the 1969, at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, the hosts of Vasco da Gama face Santos, a team in which the greatest idol of all Brazil has always played: Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Better known as Pele.
Half an hour into the first half, the referee awards the guests a penalty. Needless to say, it shows up on the floppy disk King, who with his usual naturalness beats the opposing goalkeeper, Edgardo Andrada. It's not a goal like any other, but a historic achievement: it is the number one thousand mark of Pelé's career, who at the age of 29 is already a legend, having won everything with Santos (Libertadores and Intercontinentals) and above all with the Brazilian national team (two World Cups).
After that goal, Pelé was carried in triumph and the referee had to suspend the match. There are two versions of what happened afterwards: some claim that the match ended there, others that it ended regularly 2-1. For Santos, of course.
"For the love of God, my people, now that you are all listening to me, I make a special appeal to all of you," he said. King to the cheering crowd – help poor children, help the abandoned. It is my only appeal at this special time for me."
At the end of his career, the official goals credited to the King will be in all 1.281. To have a term of comparison, just think that - to date - Cristiano Ronaldo is at an altitude of 746, while Messi is at 723.
Yet, according to the Brazilian poet Mário De Andrade, “it's not difficult to score a thousand goals like Pelé. It's hard to score un goals like Pele”.
