Editing Pelé (section)

== Style of play ==

[[File:Pelé 1960.jpg|thumb|Pelé dribbling past a defender while playing for Brazil, May 1960]]

Pelé was known for connecting the phrase "[[The Beautiful Game]]" with football.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10887009/The-World-Cup-will-show-why-football-is-still-a-beautiful-game.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10887009/The-World-Cup-will-show-why-football-is-still-a-beautiful-game.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The World Cup will show why football is still a beautiful game|work=The Telegraph|issue=12 June 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> A prolific goalscorer, he was known for his ability to anticipate his opponents’ movements and finish off chances with an accurate and powerful shot with either foot.<ref name="britannica">{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pele-Brazilian-athlete|title=Pelé (Brazilian Athlete)|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|access-date=18 July 2017|archive-date=11 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711132912/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pele-Brazilian-athlete|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="perfect player"/><ref name="Who is the greatest of all-time">{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11096/9766424/messi-ronaldo-pele-maradona-who-is-the-greatest-of-all-time|title=Messi? Ronaldo? Pele? Maradona? Who is the greatest of all-time?|publisher=Sky Sports|last=Bate|first=Adam|date=19 March 2015|access-date=27 February 2017|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108082202/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11096/9766424/messi-ronaldo-pele-maradona-who-is-the-greatest-of-all-time|url-status=live}}</ref> Pelé was also a hard-working and complete player with exceptional vision and intelligence, who was recognised for his precise passing and the ability to provide teammates with [[Assist (football)|assists]].<ref name="Just who is the best No.10 of all-time">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/pele-or-puskas-maradona-or-messi-just-who-best-no10-all-time#:LI88bVyLMf3plA|title=Pele or Puskas? Maradona or Messi? Just who is the best No.10 of all-time?|magazine=[[FourFourTwo]]|last=Massarella|first=Louis|date=5 November 2015|access-date=11 February 2016|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108081642/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/pele-or-puskas-maradona-or-messi-just-who-best-no10-all-time#:LI88bVyLMf3plA|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Maradona's greatness">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2994491/Maradonas-genius-cannot-eclipse-Brazilian-master.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2994491/Maradonas-genius-cannot-eclipse-Brazilian-master.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Maradona's genius cannot eclipse Brazilian master|work=The Telegraph|last=Miller|first=David|date=12 December 2000|access-date=27 February 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://m.espn.com/soccer/blogs/blogpost?id=2706295&blogname=arsenal&wjb|title=Mesut Ozil's assists at Arsenal make a compelling case for player of the year|publisher=ESPN FC|last=Adams|first=Tom|date=9 November 2015 |access-date=27 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106192834/http://m.espn.com/soccer/blogs/blogpost?id=2706295&blogname=arsenal&wjb|archive-date=6 November 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In his early career, he played in a variety of [[Forward (association football)|attacking positions]]. Although he often operated inside the penalty area as a [[Striker (association football)|striker]] or [[centre forward]], his wide range of skills allowed him to play as an [[inside forward]] or a  [[second striker]].<ref name="NYTimes" /><ref name="Just who is the best No.10 of all-time" /><ref name="different number tens">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/news/y=2001/m=1/news=pele-and-maradona-two-very-different-number-tens-76134.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710124450/http://www.fifa.com/news/y=2001/m=1/news=pele-and-maradona-two-very-different-number-tens-76134.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 July 2015|title=Pelé and Maradona – two very different number tens|publisher=FIFA|date=25 January 2001|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref> In his later career, he took on a [[Playmaker|playmaking]] role behind the strikers, often functioning as an [[attacking midfielder]].{{sfn|Pelé|2008|p=41}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pele_(Enciclopedia-dello-Sport)/|title=PELE (Edson Arantes do Nascimento)|publisher=Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002)|language=it|last=Pastorin|first=Darwin|access-date=27 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218092300/http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pele_(Enciclopedia-dello-Sport)|archive-date=18 December 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Pelé's unique playing style combined speed, creativity, and technical skill with physical power, stamina, and athleticism. His technique, flair, agility, and [[Dribbling#Association football|dribbling]] skills allowed him to beat opponents with the ball, and frequently saw him use sudden changes of direction and elaborate feints to get past players, such as his trademark move, the ''drible da vaca''.<ref name="NYTimes" /><ref name="different number tens" /><ref name="Io, tra Herrera, Pelè e Berselli">{{cite news|url=http://www.repubblica.it/rubriche/la-storia/2010/04/21/news/mario_corso-3506629/|title=La vita mancina di Mario Corso "Io, tra Herrera, Pelè e Berselli"|work=La Repubblica|language=it|last=Marino|first=Giovanni|date=21 April 2010|access-date=28 February 2017|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108082202/https://www.repubblica.it/rubriche/la-storia/2010/04/21/news/mario_corso-3506629/|url-status=live}}</ref> Another one of his signature moves was the ''paradinha'', or little stop.{{refn|group=note|Pelé would stop in the middle of a run-up to a penalty kick before shooting the ball; goalkeepers complained that this gave strikers an unfair advantage, however, and in the 1970s, FIFA banned this move from competitions.{{sfn|Pelé|2008|p=112}}}}{{sfn|Pelé|2008|p=112}}

Pelé excelled in the air, due to his heading accuracy, timing, and elevation.<ref name="perfect player" /><ref name="Maradona's greatness" /><ref name="Io, tra Herrera, Pelè e Berselli" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.corriere.it/sport/cards/40-anni-fa-l-addio-calcio-pele-storia-o-rei-tre-volte-campione-mondo/quel-talento.shtml |title=40 anni fa l'addio al calcio di Pelé: la storia di O Rei, tre volte campione del mondo |work=Il Corriere della Sera |language=it |last1=Radogna |first1=Fiorenzo |date=1 October 2017 |access-date=10 December 2018 |archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724034413/https://www.corriere.it/sport/cards/40-anni-fa-l-addio-calcio-pele-storia-o-rei-tre-volte-campione-mondo/quel-talento.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Renowned for his [[Curl (association football)|bending]] shots, he was also an accurate [[Direct free kick|free-kick]] taker and [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty]] taker, although he often refrained from taking penalties, stating that he believed it to be a cowardly way to score.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.us/blog/espn-fc-united-blog/68/post/2488254/pele-best-moments|title=Pele Top 10: World Cup glory, with Bobby Moore and goals, goals goals|publisher=ESPN FC|last=Miller|first=Nick|date=15 June 2015|access-date=27 February 2017|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108065924/https://www.espn.com/soccer/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2014/05/26/palleggio-volante-ed-esterno-destro-il-mondo-conobbe-il-bambino-pele47.html|title=Palleggio volante ed esterno destro il mondo conobbe il bambino Pelé|work=La Repubblica|language=it|last=Crosetti|first=Maurizio|date=26 May 2014|access-date=27 February 2017|archive-date=8 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108082508/https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2014/05/26/palleggio-volante-ed-esterno-destro-il-mondo-conobbe-il-bambino-pele47.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Pelé was also known to be a fair and highly influential player, who stood out for his charismatic leadership and sportsmanship on the pitch. His warm embrace of Bobby Moore following the Brazil vs England game at the 1970 World Cup is viewed as the embodiment of sportsmanship, with ''[[The New York Times]]'' stating the image "captured the respect that two great players had for each other. As they exchanged jerseys, touches, and looks, the sportsmanship between them was all in the image. No gloating and no fist-pumping from Pelé. No despair, no defeatism from Bobby Moore."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/sports/soccer/15iht-SOCCER.html |title=A Shot That Captured the Bigger Meaning in Sports |work=The New York Times |date=15 September 2010 |access-date=21 October 2018 |archive-date=23 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123203235/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/sports/soccer/15iht-SOCCER.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Pelé also earned a reputation for being a “big game player” due to his tendency to score crucial goals in important matches.<ref name="mastino">{{cite web |url=https://sport.sky.it/calcio-estero/2010/10/15/pele_70_anni_intervista_tarcisio_burgnich.html |title=Il mastino Burgnich: "Il mio Pelé, il migliore di tutti" |publisher=[[Sky Italia]] |language=it |last1=Longhi |first1=Lorenzo |date=18 October 2010 |access-date=28 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402012708/https://sport.sky.it/calcio-estero/2010/10/15/pele_70_anni_intervista_tarcisio_burgnich.html |archive-date=2 April 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxsports.it/2018/06/28/mondiali-germania-eliminata-maledizione-campioni/ |title=Mondiali, la maledizione dei campioni in carica continua |publisher=foxsports.it |language=it |last1=Fiori |first1=Stefano |date=27 June 2018 |access-date=28 June 2018 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806031652/https://www.foxsports.it/2018/06/28/mondiali-germania-eliminata-maledizione-campioni/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://sport.sky.it/calcio/approfondimenti/20-calciatori-determinanti-decisivi-mondiali.html |title=Da Pelé a Grosso, i 20 calciatori più determinanti e decisivi ai Mondiali |publisher=Sky Italia |language=it |last1=Motisi |first1=Domenico |date=5 October 2017 |access-date=28 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402012707/https://sport.sky.it/calcio/approfondimenti/20-calciatori-determinanti-decisivi-mondiali.html |archive-date=2 April 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>