Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Photo: Unknown author · Public domain
About Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Few career paths read quite like that of Edson Arantes do Nascimento. The Brazilian forward, born in 1940, started out at Santos in 1955 and went on to represent 2 clubs across 2 countries. That journey has since ended — New York Cosmos hosted the farewell in 1977.
Club by club, the full journey looks like this: Santos (1955–1974), then New York Cosmos (1975–1977). For trivia purposes, the order of those badges is everything.
The defining association was with Santos, a spell of roughly 19 years that anchors the whole career grid. The move abroad came in 1975, when New York Cosmos in United States came calling. From start to finish the map lights up across Brazil, United States.
On the stat sheet: 647 recorded appearances, 606 goals.
Some parts of the story do not fit in any stat column. In 1961, the Brazilian government officially declared him a 'national treasure' so that no foreign club could buy him. He scored his reported 1,000th career goal from a penalty against Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã in November 1969, an event so anticipated that the Brazilian postal service issued a commemorative stamp. He was named joint FIFA Player of the Century in 2000, sharing the award with Diego Maradona.
Could you have named Edson Arantes do Nascimento from the badges alone — Santos at the start, New York Cosmos at the end? Read the timeline below and ask yourself which stop would have given the answer away first.
Career Timeline
New York Cosmos
Santos
Career Statistics
Scout's notes
The clues Daily Play reveals, in order, to anyone trying to name Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
- Clue 1Nicknamed 'O Rei' (The King)
- Clue 2Won three FIFA World Cups, more than any other player in history
- Clue 3Spent almost his entire career at a single Brazilian club
- Clue 4Finished his playing days in the North American Soccer League
- Clue 5Declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government to stop him being sold abroad
Fun Facts
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