Pelé and President Ford, 6/28/1975 (NARA IDs 12082700 and 6829578).
RIP Pelé
Brazilian soccer legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento (aka Pelé) died today at age 82. After retiring from a dazzling and historic international soccer career, he played for the New York Cosmos (1975-1977) and is widely credited with sparking American interest in the game.
In his role as a soccer global ambassador, Pelé was a frequent visitor to the White House.
Pelé and Nixon (5/08/1973, NARA IDs 194508 and 1552580).
See the “Memoranda of Conversation” from this meeting (excerpt):
Pelé and Reagan (10/14/1982 NARA ID 75852465).
Pelé, Reagan, and Brazilian President José Sarney (9/1/1986, NARA ID 75855009)
Pelé and Clinton (10/15/1997, NARA ID 81122856)
See related:
In Memoriam: Pelé (1940-2022), National Archives News
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!, Pieces of History blog
Soccer in the National Archives and Sports in the National Archives, National Archives News special topics pages
All American: The Power of Sports exhibit, National Archives Museum, Washington, DC, through 1/7/2024.









