RIP Pele: Facts About The Legendary Footballer You Probably Didn't Know

Pele scored a total of 1,283 first-class goals which included 77 for his national team Brazil. His real name, Edson Arantes do Nascimiento, was kept after American inventor Thomas Edison. (Image Courtesy: Bakir Tiro/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Pele signed a contract with Santos at 15. On his debut, the teenaged Pele netted four goals against FC Corinthians on September 7, 1956. (Image Courtesy: Boris Spremo/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

One of the quotes attributed to the legendary footballer is: A penalty is a cowardly way to score. (Image Courtesy: Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Pele's father was also a noted Brazilian footballer Dondinho. He once scored scored five headed goals in one match, something that even his more celebrated son couldn't replicate, the most Pele scored through a header in a single match was 4. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/WireImage Getty Images)

Pele came second in BBC's Sportsman of the 20th Century. He lost the first place to Boxing legend Muhammad Ali. (Thomas Eisenhuth/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Pele earned the nickname of “Perola Negra” or Black Pearl, a name made even more popular in India by a scene in 1979 classic Hindi cinema Gol Maal helmed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. (Xavi Torrent/Getty Images)

In a scarcely believable feat, Pele netted 92 hat-tricks. He scored four goals on 31 instances, five on 6 times, and once even scored 8 goals in a match. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Just the fact that Pele was playing in the USA helped the league boost their average attendance by close to 80 per cent from 1975 to 1977. (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)

Waldemar de Brito, another legendary Brazilian footballer, is said to have spotted Pele's talent early. He famously predicted that the little boy could be the greatest football player in the world. (Subhendu Ghosh/Hindustan Times via Ge)tty Images

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. Pele (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)