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In remembrance of the legendary Pele, let's take a look at all of his 12 FIFA World Cup goals.
Sadly, the footballing icon passed away on Thursday (December 29) at the age of 82. He suffered from cancer and also suffered kidney and cardiac failure in the latter stages.
It is truly an immense loss to the footballing world as Pele was not just an icon himself but an inspiration to many iconic footballers that preceded him.
The former Brazil attacker won a record three FIFA World Cup trophies with his nation and was instrumental in all of them.
Watch all 12 of Pele's World Cup goals:
The Santos legend scored six goals in four matches in his first FIFA World Cup appearance in 1958 as he helped Brazil win the trophy. He scored an incredible hat-trick against France in the semi-finals, becoming the youngest player to do so at Mundial.
He also won the trophy in 1962, when he scored just one goal as he picked up an injury in his first game of the tournament.
The former New York Cosmos man scored one goal at the 1966 World Cup where Brazil failed to lift the trophy and were eliminated in the group stages. However, the legendary forward returned with a bang in the 1970 edition, scoring four goals and providing six assists to help his side lift the trophy again.
Pele's Brazil all-time top-scoring record was equaled by Neymar Jr. at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The former Brazil No. 10 scored 77 goals, in addition to 32 assists, for Brazil in 92 games before his retirement. Neymar Jr., the man who now dons the iconic jersey, equaled the record at the recently concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup.
However, Le Selecao were beaten in the quarter-finals by Croatia on penalties.
While Neymar might go on to break Pele's record, he shared a heartfelt tribute after the legend passed away, as he wrote on his Instagram:
"Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. I’ve read this phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say before Pelé football was just a sport. Pelé has changed it all."
He added:
"He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, to the blacks and especially: He gave visibility to Brazil. Soccer and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He's gone but his magic remains. Pelé is FOREVER!!"
Neymar currently has 77 goals and 56 assists in 124 games.
