When we talk about the history of football, everything basically divides into two eras: before him and after him. But if you're looking for a simple date, the short answer is that Pele played professionally from 1956 to 1977.
That's twenty-one years of absolute magic. Honestly, it’s a lifetime in a sport where most guys are lucky to get a decade before their knees give out.
He didn't just "play" soccer; he kind of invented the way we think about it today. He made the number 10 jersey iconic. Before he stepped onto the pitch, it was just a number. After him, it became the badge of the playmaker.
The Santos Years: 1956 to 1974
It all started in a coastal city in Brazil called Santos. Pele was just fifteen when he showed up for a trial. Legend has it his mentor, Waldemar de Brito, told the directors at Santos FC that this kid was going to be the greatest player in the world.
He wasn't lying.
Pele made his professional debut for Santos on September 7, 1956. He was 15 years old. He scored in that first game against Corinthians de Santo André. Imagine being a teenager and scoring against grown men in your first pro match.
For the next eighteen years, he stayed loyal to Santos. This is the part people usually get wrong—they think he hopped around big European clubs like stars do now. But the Brazilian government actually declared him an "official national treasure" in 1961 to stop him from being sold to teams like Real Madrid or Inter Milan.
He stayed home. He won ten Paulista titles and six Brazilian league titles. He also led them to back-to-back Copa Libertadores titles in 1962 and 1963. He was essentially a one-club man for the vast majority of his life.
World Cup Glory: When Did Pele Play for Brazil?
If you ask a casual fan "when did Pele play," they’re usually thinking of the yellow jersey of the Seleção. His international career spanned from 1957 to 1971.
He is still the only person to win three FIFA World Cups.
- 1958 (Sweden): He was 17. He arrived with a knee injury and sat out the first two games. When he finally got on the pitch, he scored a hat-trick in the semi-final and two goals in the final. People still talk about his first goal in that final—flicking the ball over a defender's head and volleying it home.
- 1962 (Chile): This one was bittersweet. He started strong but got injured in the second match. He had to watch from the sidelines while Garrincha took the lead and won the trophy for Brazil.
- 1966 (England): A total disaster. Pele was literally kicked off the park by defenders from Bulgaria and Portugal. Brazil crashed out in the first round, and Pele was so disgusted by the officiating that he vowed never to play in a World Cup again.
- 1970 (Mexico): Thankfully, he changed his mind. This is widely considered the greatest team of all time. Pele was the heartbeat of it. He scored the opening goal in the final against Italy and famously leapt into the arms of Jairzinho.
He played his final match for Brazil on July 18, 1971, at the Maracanã against Yugoslavia. Over 140,000 people were there. They didn't want him to go. They chanted "Stay! Stay!" but he knew it was time.
The American Revolution: 1975 to 1977
By 1974, Pele was basically retired from Santos. He’d done it all. But then came the New York Cosmos and the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Soccer in America back then was sort of a punchline. It wasn't popular. The Cosmos general manager, Clive Toye, spent years trying to convince him. Eventually, Pele signed a three-year deal worth about $4.7 million—a massive sum at the time.
He played in New York from 1975 to 1977.
It changed everything. Suddenly, celebrities like Mick Jagger and Robert Redford were showing up to soccer games. Attendance jumped from a few thousand to over 70,000 at Giants Stadium. He led the Cosmos to a championship in 1977, his final year.
His very last game was an exhibition on October 1, 1977. It was Cosmos vs. Santos. He played the first half for New York and the second half for his old club, Santos. It rained. A Brazilian newspaper famously wrote the next day that "Even the sky was crying."
The Numbers and the Legacy
When did Pele play? He played during a time when pitches were muddy, boots were heavy, and defenders could practically assault you without getting a red card.
The stats are often debated because of how games were tracked back then. FIFA usually credits him with 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. Some critics argue that many of those were in "unofficial" friendlies.
But here’s the thing: those friendlies weren't just kickabouts. Santos toured the world like the Harlem Globetrotters. They played against the best teams in Europe and South America. Whether it was a league match or a high-stakes friendly in Africa, Pele was scoring.
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Key Milestones to Remember:
- September 1956: Professional debut for Santos.
- July 1957: First goal for Brazil (at age 16).
- June 1958: Youngest World Cup winner in history.
- November 1969: He scored his 1,000th goal (the "Milésimo") on a penalty at the Maracanã.
- October 1977: Final retirement match in New York.
If you're trying to understand his impact, don't just look at the years. Look at the transition. He started playing in an era where soccer was a regional sport followed via radio and ended it as the world’s first global superstar.
He played when the game needed a king.
To really appreciate the timeline of his career, you should look up archival footage of the 1970 World Cup final. It’s the best way to see him at his absolute peak, orchestrating a team that many believe hasn't been equaled since. Watching his movement and vision explains more than any list of dates ever could.