Why Soccer Matters

"Soccer. Football. The beautiful game. The world's most popular sport goes by many names, but for decades, fans have agreed on one thing: the greatest player of all time was Pelae. Now the legendary star, ambassador, and humanitarian shares a global vision for what soccer can accomplish. Now he shares his story, his experience, and his insights on the game for the very first time. Before Messi, before Ronaldo, before Beckham, there was Edson Arantes do Nascimento- known simply as Pelae. A national treasure, he created pure magic with his accomplishments on the field: an unprecedented three World Cup championships and the all-time scoring record, with 1,282 goals in his twenty year career. Now, with the World Cup returning after more than sixty years to Brazil- the country often credited with perfecting the sport- soccer has a unique opportunity to encourage change on a global level. And as the tournament's official ambassador, Pelae is ready to be the face of progress." --