With Ronaldo’s speech, FIFA honors Pelé in The Best award

The greatest player in history was honored at the event that awards the best player of today. Pelé was remembered by FIFA at The Best award ceremony this Monday, 27.

The widow Márcia Aoki, in addition to Kely Cristina and Flávia Arantes do Nascimento, two daughters of the King, who died on December 29 last year, aged 82, were invited and accompanied the tributes during the event in Paris.

The ceremony opened with a speech by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in honor of Pelé. The screen showed historical images of the Athlete of the Century, especially goals in World Cups, with the King’s voice in the background, commenting on his extraordinary career.

“Of the four World Cups I played, the 1970 was the one I consider the best”, were some of Pelé’s words that the organization chose to display. “I gave my life to Brazilian football and the national team,” said the King when he retired on October 1, 1977.

Ronaldo is called by FIFA to honor Pele

Ronaldo was called on stage to talk about the greatest player in history.

“When he played, the world was even more racist than today. He showed that black people can be better, more successful and can overcome racism. This fight is not over, but I ask that everyone be inspired by the example of King Pelé” , said Ronaldo, citing the King’s anti-racist fight and his impact off the pitch as well. “This legacy will be eternal.”

Márcia Aoki took the stage to receive a FIFA trophy from Ronaldo in tribute to the King of football. “I have few words to say. “God gave us Edson, Edson gave us Pelé and the world received them both so well”, said the King’s widow.

Jairzinho, world champion in 1970 and who lived so much with Pelé, was also heard about the memories he has of the King. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have played in a World Cup with him. He did everything with great naturalness and intelligence”, he praised. “Pelé was the mirror of all the conditions that an athlete has to develop”.

The tribute lasted about 15 minutes and ended with Seu Jorge, who sang and played his guitar sitting on the stage while images of Pelé in black and white were displayed in the background and the King’s widow wept sitting in the audience.

Pelé never won the FIFA award because the choice only awarded European players and athletes who played in Europe. As Pelé had his career built at Santos and later at Cosmos, in the USA, the best player of all time never received the award while playing.

The magazine France Football, which followed the same criteria, revised its decision after changes in the election rules and, in 2014, the year of the World Cup in Brazil, the second in the country’s history, gave Pelé the title of Ballon d’Or in the retroactive editions of 1958, 59, 60, 61, 1963, 65 and 1970, when he led the Brazilian team to win the third world championship. Out seven awards. Only Messi has the same number of achievements.