“The greatest goal I ever scored was a one-two with [his mother] Celeste — we named him Edson Arantes do Nascimento.”

— Dondinho, Pele’s father, who was also a professional footballer

“Pele revolutionised football. Pele stopped a war. Pele united countries, united families. There was no race problem, language problem. I was born in 1970. In 2002, I became a world champion. I was captain. I had the honour of receiving the World Cup Trophy from no less a person than Pele! Man! If I say any more I’ll cry. It’s really emotional!”

— Former Brazil captain Cafu to FIFA

Malcolm Allison: “How do you spell Pele?”

Pat Crerand: “Easy: G-O-D.”

— Television commentators during the FIFA World Cup Mexico 1970™

“To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full.”

— The late Nelson Mandela, former human rights activist and former President of South Africa

“Pele was one of the few who contradicted my theory: instead of 15 minutes of fame, he will have 15 centuries.”

— late artist Andy Warhol

“An artist, in my eyes, is someone who can lighten up a dark room. I have never and will never find the difference between the pass from Pele to Carlos Alberto in the final of the World Cup in 1970 and the poetry of the young Rimbaud. There is in each of these human manifestations an expression of beauty which touches us and gives us a feeling of eternity.”

— Former France international and actor Eric Cantona

“My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the President of the United States of America. But you don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pele is.”

— late former US President Ronald Reagan

“I told myself before the game, he’s made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong.”

— Italy’s Tarcisio Burgnich, after playing against Pele in the 1970 World Cup Final.

“When I saw Pelé play, it made me feel I should hang up my boots.” — Just Fontaine, the Morocco-born French star who scored 13 goals in six games in the 1958 World Cup.

“The moment the ball arrived at Pelé’s feet, football transformed into poetry.” — Italian poet Pier Paolo Pasolini.