Imaginary Wish List: Pelé

Hailed as possibly the greatest footballer of all time, Pelé (real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento) is the only player ever to be on the winning team at three World Cup tournaments. A forward for Brazil, he was there—and scored most of the winning goals—to take the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970. The shirt he wore during the 1970 World Cup Final (that saw Brazil triumph 4-1 over Italy) fetched a record £157,750 when it was auctioned at Christie‘s, three times what they expected it to sell for. His style on the pitch, and ability to shoot with both feet, captivated supporters from all over the world and placed him firmly in the sport’s hall of fame. Retiring from “the beautiful game” (his own phrase) in 1977, Pelé was named a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment, and in 2012 was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh for “significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes, as well as his sporting achievements”. In honour of his athletic and humanitarian efforts, here’s what we imagine Pelé might sport now.