Transcript

Ep242: Pelé · Kidcast Daily

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Welcome to Kickass Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
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facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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If you understood any part of that introduction song, you
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probably guessed that today's episode is all about someone
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who's widely considered the greatest soccer player of all
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time, Pele. He was so famous that people
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sometimes called him the King of Soccer.
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Whether you're a soccer fan or you're just curious about
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amazing people from history, get ready to learn all about Pele's
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life, his achievements, and why he's remembered as a legend in
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the world of sports. Let's start at the very
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beginning. Pele's real name was Edson
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Aaron's do Nashimento. That's a pretty long name, so
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most people just called him Pele.
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He was born on October 23rd, 1940 in a small town called Tres
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Caracos, which means three hearts in Portuguese.
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That's in Brazil, the largest country in South America.
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At the time Pele was born, Brazil was already a country
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where people love soccer, which is called Foot Bowl in
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Portuguese. Pele grew up in a poor family.
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His father, Don Dinho, was a soccer player too, but he didn't
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earn a lot of money. When Pele was little, his family
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couldn't afford a real soccer ball, so he and his friends
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would use a sock stuffed with newspaper or a grapefruit to
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play soccer in the streets. Can you imagine playing soccer
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with a homemade ball? That's real dedication.
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Pele discovered his love for soccer at a very young age.
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He learned a lot about the sport from his father, who taught him
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special tricks and skills. By the time Pele was just 10
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years old, people already noticed that he was really good
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at dribbling and kicking the ball.
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He was faster, more creative, and more determined than most
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kids his age. Did you know that Pele got his
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famous nickname by accident? When he was a kid, he
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mispronounced the name of his favorite goalkeeper, Bile, and
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called him Pele instead. The other kids tease him by
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calling him Pele, and the name stuck.
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He didn't like the nickname at first, but as he grew older, it
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became one of the most famous names in sports history.
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When Pele was just 15 years old, he joined a professional soccer
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team called Santos FC. That's right, he was still just
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a teenager. Imagine being in middle school
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and already playing with grown up professional athletes.
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At Santos, Pele quickly showed everyone that he was a star.
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In his very first game, he scored a goal.
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Soon he was scoring all the time and helping his team win
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matches. Let's talk about one of the most
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exciting moments in Pele's early career, the World Cup.
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The World Cup is the biggest soccer tournament in the world,
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and it happens every four years. Teams from all over the globe
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compete to see who is the best. In 1958, when Pele was only 17,
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he was chosen to play for Brazil's national team in the
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World Cup held in Sweden. Most players at the World Cup
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are adults, but Pele was just a teenager.
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In the tournament. He scored amazing goals and
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helped Brazil win its first ever World Cup.
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Pele even scored a hat trick, three goals in one game in the
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semifinals and two more goals in the final match.
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People were amazed by how skillful and fearless he was,
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even though he was the youngest player on the field.
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Did you know that Pele is still the youngest player ever to
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score in a World Cup final? That's a record that has lasted
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for decades. After the 1958 World Cup,
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everyone knew Pele's name. He became a superstar in Brazil
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and all over the world. People came from different
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countries just to watch him play.
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Pele was famous not only for scoring goals but also for his
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style of play. He was creative, fast and had
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great control of the ball. He could dribble past defenders,
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make smart passes and score with both feet as well as with his
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head. Pele played in three more World
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Cups in 1960, two, 1966 and 1970.
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In 1962, Brazil won again and Pele scored important goals
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before getting injured. In 1970, Pele LED Brazil to its
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third World Cup victory. Many people say that the 1970
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Brazil team, with Pele as their star, was one of the best soccer
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teams ever. In total, Pele scored twelve
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goals in World Cup tournaments and played a big role in
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Brazil's 3 championships. No one else has won three World
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Cups as a player. That's a record that makes Pele
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extra special. Pele didn't just play for the
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national team, he spent most of his club career with Santos FC,
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where he won many championships. During his time at Santos, the
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team won the Brazilian League, the Coppola Birdidors and other
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important tournaments. Pele was always the top scorer,
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and he helped Santos become famous all over the world.
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Did you know that Pele scored over 1000 goals in his career?
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That's more than most professional soccer players ever
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dream of. In 1969, he scored his one
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thousandth goal during a match in Rio de Janeiro.
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The stadium was packed and when he scored, the crowd cheered and
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celebrated. Reporters from around the world
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came to see if he would reach the milestone.
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Pelle's one thousandth goal is still one of the most talked
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about moments in soccer history. In total, he scored 1281 goals
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in 1363 games. Let's take a moment to talk
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about Pele's playing style. He was known for being a
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complete player. That means he was good at every
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part of the game. He could dribble past defenders,
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make accurate passes, shoot with power and precision, and even
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defend when needed. Pele was also very athletic.
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He could jump high, run fast, and change direction quickly.
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This helped him score goals in many different ways, by
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shooting, heading the ball, or even using special moves that
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surprised goalkeeper. Pele was also a great teammate.
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He liked to involve everyone in the game and was known for being
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humble and respectful. Even though he was a superstar,
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he didn't act like he was better than anyone else.
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He often said that soccer is a team sport and that every player
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is important. After spending almost 2 decades
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with Santos, Pele made a big decision in 1975.
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He moved to the United States to play for a team called the New
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York Cosmos. At that time, soccer was not
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very popular in the United States, but Pele's arrival
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changed everything. Suddenly, more people wanted to
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watch soccer, and many kids started playing the game.
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Pele retired from professional soccer in 1977.
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After his last match, he thanked the fans and told everyone to
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say love, love, love to show how important kindness and respect
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are in sports. But even after retiring, Pele
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stayed busy. He became an ambassador for
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soccer, traveling to different countries to promote the sport.
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He also worked with organizations that help children
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and support education. Pele wanted everyone to have a
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chance to play sports and reach their dreams, just like he did.
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Did you know that in 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century
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by the International Olympic Committee?
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That's a huge honor, especially since Pele never even played in
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the Olympics. He was also voted World Player
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of the Century by the International Federation of
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Football History and Statistics. Many of today's soccer stars
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like Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have said that
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Pele was one of their heroes growing up.
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They watched videos of his games, practiced his moves and
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tried to be as creative and hard working as he was.
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Pele showed everyone that with practice, teamwork and a love
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for the game, you can achieve great things.
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Even though Pele passed away in 2022, his legacy lives on.
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People still talk about his amazing goals, his sportsmanship
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and his kindness. Soccer stadiums, schools, and
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even children are named after him.
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His story continues to inspire millions of kids around the
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world to chase their dreams, whether it's in sports, school
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or any other part of life. Let's do a quick recap of what
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we've learned today. Pele, whose real name was Edson
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Aaron's Do Nascimento, was born in Brazil in 1940.
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He grew up in a small town and learned to play soccer with
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homemade balls. At just 15, he joined Santos FC
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and quickly became a star. At 17, he played in his first
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World Cup and helped Brazil win its first championship.
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Pele won three World Cups with Brazil, scored more than 1000
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goals, and played an important role in making soccer popular
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around the world, including in the United States.
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He was known for his skills, teamwork, and humble attitude.
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After retiring, he worked to help children and promote
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education. Pelley's records and
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achievements are still celebrated today, and his story
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inspires people everywhere. That's all for today's episode
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of Kid Cast Daily. Remember, you don't need fancy
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equipment or lots of money to start chasing your dreams.
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Just like Pele, all you need is passion, hard work, and the
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courage to keep trying. Thanks for joining us to learn
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all about the world's greatest soccer legend, TuneIn Next time
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for more news, trivia, fun facts and amazing stories just for
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curious kids like you. See you next time.
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Grab your breakfast. Feeling fine?
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Adventures waiting? Don't be late.
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Today's the day we celebrate.