Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to his schoolmates as Pelé, grew up
in poverty in the Sao Paulo region of Brazil. He was too poor to afford
a real soccer ball, so he played with a ball of newspaper tied together
with string. Yet he dominated the youth leagues and signed his first
professional soccer contract at the age of fifteen. Within two years he
was celebrated internationally, when he led Brazil to victory at the
world cup. Known by his fans as O Rei (The King), Pelé is widely
regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time. But he's more than
just an athlete: he also traveled the world as goodwill ambassador for
UNICEF. Pelé is the living symbol of a sport he dubbed the beautiful
game--a game that brings people together regardless of race or
nationality.
In the graphic novel Pele: The King of Soccer, Eddy Simon and Vincent
Brascaglia beautifully depict Pele's rise from the slums of Brazil to
the national stage.