Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known globally as Pele, was born in Brazil in 1940 and is considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He began his professional career at age 15 with Santos Football Club, and went on to play for the Brazilian national team for over a decade, helping Brazil win three World Cup championships (1958, 1962, 1970). After retiring from Santos in 1974, Pele spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League playing for the New York Cosmos. In his career he scored over 1,000 goals in official matches, a record that earned him recognition as the top goalscorer in football history.