5 A Busy Time

CHAPTER 5 A Busy Time In the fall of 1958, Pelé was already well- known to soccer fans around the world. But he still had his club job with the Santos team. Earlier that year, he had moved out of the dormitory and was living with a local family. On an off day, he and some teammates went to watch a girls' basketball game. Pelé was interested in one of the players, and he asked to meet her. Rosemeri Cholbi was only fourteen, however, and Pelé was seventeen so they did not date right away. Rosemeri and Pelé saw a lot of each other with friends. The only problem was that Rosemeri did not like soccer at

all! After he turned eighteen, Pelé served in the army for one year. In Brazil, there were no exceptions to this rule, even for national heroes! Every healthy man over eighteen had to complete his service. Pelé was stationed right in Santos and was treated like any other soldier. He had to learn how to march, how to clean the barracks, and how to shoot a rifle. However, his service didn't keep him from playing soccer. Pelé played for an army team, for Santos, and for Brazil. During his year in the army, he played more than a hundred games!

After his army time was up, the Santos Club wanted to make the most of Pelé and their other famous Brazilian stars. The next couple of seasons were filled with endless matches. The club scheduled games around the world, sometimes making the athletes play even when they were very tired. "It was a brutal schedule," Pelé said later, "designed to make the Santos Club rich, and with small regard for the players." Although he was the team's most famous player, professional teams paid very little. And players had to follow all the rules or lose their jobs. But the hectic schedule of matches led Pelé all over the world. Santos traveled to Central America and other parts of South America, and made a long trip to Europe. In Italy, Pelé and the team met Pope John XXIII. This was a big honor for Pelé, a lifelong Catholic. The team traveled to Egypt, where Pelé got to ride a camel. Wherever Pelé went, fans packed the stadiums to see his soccer magic. He welcomed them all with his big smile. Even when he was tired or sore, he wanted to make his fans happy.

Santos continued in Brazil's league play, winning the championship in 1961 and for the next four years. Santos also won the Intercontinental Cup in 1962, a tournament played among the world's best professional clubs. Pelé scored three goals in that championship game over a team from Portugal.

By this time, Pelé was beloved throughout Brazil. Fans couldn't wait to see what amazing skills he would show off next. He was also sought after by every club in the world. A team from Italy offered him half a million dollars to play there! He was twenty-one years old and that was ten times more than he was making at Santos! The president of Brazil stepped in. He ruled that Pelé was a "national treasure." It would be illegal for him to play for any club outside Brazil. Such an honor had never been given to any player anywhere. Although Pelé probably earned less because of it, he was a proud Brazilian and followed the new law. Pelé was now O Rei... the King!

In the spring of 1962, Pelé injured his leg in a Santos game. Unfortunately, his injury came at a bad time, just as Brazil gathered its best players to defend their World Cup title. Pelé worked hard to get better. He played in the team's first game against Mexico and scored a goal. But in their second game, against Czechoslovakia, he reinjured his leg and had to come out of the game. The team made it to the final match, but Pelé could not play. Pelé watched with mixed emotions from the sidelines as his beloved Brazilians won their second straight World Cup.