Sports

13 Things To Know About Late Football Legend Pele

Published

3 years ago

December 30, 2022

Editor

Brazil football legend, Pele, who died on Thursday at the age of 82, was regarded as the game’s greatest player.

Pele was the best-loved footballer of his or any other generation, the eternal master of the beautiful game.

Here are 13 things to know about Pele:

1. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in October 1940, Pele played his first game for Santos as a 15-year-old in 1956.

2. Pele won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970. His sumptuous range of skills made him the embodiment of his country’s golden age of football.

3. When Pele finally retired in 1977, he had scored more than 1,000 goals.

4. Pele scored 77 for Brazil, a mark only equalled at the recent World Cup by Neymar.

5. Pele’s impact on his sport went far beyond the pitch as he also became a money-making phenomenon, lending his name to sportswear, credit cards and watches among an array of products.

6. Pele earned a call-up to the national team in 1957, scoring on his debut against Argentina. In 1958, he was picked for the World Cup in Sweden.

7. Still only 17, Pele had become the youngest World Cup winner in history. The next two tournaments, however, were to be unhappy experiences.

8. Twenty-one by the time of the 1962 World Cup in Chile, an older, stronger Pele had been expected to take the tournament by storm.

9. Though he was to continue playing club football for his beloved Santos and later the New York Cosmos, Pele retired from international duty in 1971, making an emotional farewell in front of 180,000 fans at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

10. In 1977, he inspired New York to the national title in his final season with the club which featured fellow greats Franz Beckenbauer, Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia and former Brazil captain Carlos Alberto.

11. He appeared in the 1981 film, Escape to Victory, about Allied Prisoners of War during World War II along with the likes of Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone and Moore.

12. Between 1995 and 1998, he was even Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport, while he also regularly appeared in public as an ambassador for numerous commercial brands.

13. He married for the third time in 2016, tying the knot with Marcia Aoki.

Sports

Ballon d’Or 2025: Full List Of Winners

Published

2 days ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

In a night of celebration and surprises at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony crowned new champions in men’s and women’s football. PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé emerged as the men’s winner, capping off a stellar season that saw him lead his club to Champions League triumph.

Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí made history by securing the women’s award for the third consecutive year. Here’s the complete rundown of all the major awards from football’s most prestigious gala.

Men’s Ballon d’Or
• Winner: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

The 28-year-old French star beat out fierce competition from Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Dembélé’s pivotal role in PSG’s European success, including key goals and assists, propelled him to the top. This marks his first Ballon d’Or and continues a trend where winners since 2013 have been 28 or older.

Top 5 Rankings:
1 Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

2 Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

3 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Women’s Ballon d’Or
• Winner: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona)
Bonmatí became the first player to win three in a row, despite Barcelona’s loss in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final to Arsenal and Spain’s defeat to England in the Euro 2025 final. Her standout performances as the best player in both the Euros and Champions League sealed the deal, edging out Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Barcelona’s Mariona Caldentey.

Other Major Awards
• Kopa Trophy (Best Young Player, Under 21): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
The 18-year-old wunderkind took home this award without contest, with speculation swirling about his potential for the senior Ballon d’Or in future years. Yamal’s speech humbly acknowledged the bigger prize ahead.

• Yashin Trophy (Donnaruma): Now in Manchester City, however the Italian shotstopper was pivotal during PSG’s quest for its first European glory.

• Men’s Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain
Honoring their dominant 2024-25 campaign, including Champions League victory. The Paris crowd erupted as DJ Snake presented the award amid chants.

• Women’s Club of the Year: Arsenal
Recognized for their undefeated run in the Champions League and overall excellence.

• Coach of the Year: Luis Enrique

Highlights and reactions
The evening was a mix of glamour and minor gaffes—think awkward dance breaks and a quirky DJ presentation—but the focus remained on the stars. Dembélé’s win has sparked debates on X and beyond, with fans crediting his team’s support while others lament Salah’s perennial near-miss. “What does Mo Salah have to do?” one BBC commenter quipped.

Bonmatí’s third win cements her as a legend at just 27, though some voices argued for Russo’s dual Euros and Champions League heroics. Real Madrid’s boycott drama from 2024 was absent this year, with their stars like Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior attending gracefully despite missing the podium.

Sports

Ballon d’Or: 2025 Women’s Club Of The Year Emerge

Published

2 days ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

Arsenal Women have been named the 2025 Women’s Club of the Year at the Ballon d’Or ceremony held in Paris on Monday night.

The award comes after a historic season for the Gunners, who lifted the UEFA Women’s Champions League, defeating Barcelona 1-0 in the final in Lisbon. Stina Blackstenius scored the decisive goal to hand Arsenal their second European crown.

Beyond their European success, the North London side also impressed domestically, finishin second in the Women’s Super League and reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup..

The Women’s Club of the Year award recognises not only on-field success but also the club’s wider contribution to the growth of the women’s game.

Arsenal’s strong development structure, international recognition, and fan engagement were also factors behind their recognition.

Sports

Ballon d’Or: PSG Win Best Team Of The Year

Published

2 days ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned the Best Team of 2025 at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in Paris on Monday night.

The French champions, who enjoyed a remarkable season both domestically and in Europe, were recognised for their consistency and dominance across competitions.

The French giants enjoyed an extraordinary 2024-25 season, capturing four major trophies: the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League, and the Trophée des Champions.

They also reached the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, underlining their quality and ability to compete with the very best across continents.

The Best Team award at the Ballon d’Or gala highlights the Parisians’ evolution from domestic dominance to genuine European and global contenders.