Real Madrid’s Brazilian Stars Mourn Pelé, Their Trailblazer

Tributes to soccer and cultural icon Pelé continue to pour in across the world amid three days of national mourning in his native Brazil, with his presence in hearts and minds more alive than ever in the wake of his passing aged 82.

Alongside his glorious World Cup outings, Pelé starred for just two teams, the Brazilian side Santos and New York Cosmos in the United States. But one club remembering his influence particularly keenly—not to say that others don’t—is across the Atlantic ocean in Spain, at global juggernaut Real Madrid. That is despite him never wearing the La Liga giant’s crest during his playing days.

Los Blancos is home to a handful of Brazil’s leading lights, who stand on the shoulders of inspiration Pelé in the modern era. Those names are Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Eder Militão, and perhaps Reinier Jesus and Endrick one day. Pelé’s greatness and artistry, culminating in three World Cup trophies, have left an indelible imprint on their careers, Brazilians’ lives, and the entire sport while uniting people across the political divide—especially poignant given Brazil’s present state.

From a soccer perspective, it’s not just his goals and awards that make him significant. Instead, it’s how he remains so intrinsically powerful in the globalized, moneyed game fans consume today, much evolved from his time decades ago. His exuberant playing style has influenced future generations, who now ply their trade at teams like Real in Europe and whom clubs and companies market in a technologically advanced global context. Those coming after him mourn the loss.

“King, majesty, example. Pelé is love and generosity. The player who changed football, the greatest of all, has left us,” were among the words Vinícius posted via Twitter not long before featuring in Real’s win at Real Valladolid on its return to La Liga action.

“December 29 will always be a sad date from today,” Rodrygo said. We grew up in Santos hearing people talk bout you every day, how good you were playing and as a person, and thank God I had the chance to meet you in person.”

“Sad day for us Brazilians and world football (soccer), Militão echoed. “Pelé will always be timeless. Rest in peace, King.”

Understanding Pelé beyond the player means appreciating the passage of time. Argentine Jorge Valdano, the former Real forward and general manager, is one of many who remembers watching Pele in stunning technicolor as the 1970s began. With all its developments, this soccer kaleidoscope is simply the norm half a century later, but it wasn’t then.

Nor was there a similar business landscape. Endorsement deals, sponsors, image rights, you name it, surround the game now. Indeed, a case in point is Vinícius himself, considering legal action and an end to his deal with Nike—likely a multimillion-dollar partnership—after supposedly feeling unhappy with how they represent him.

In tandem, the transfer market and salaries—epitomized by a record €222 million ($238 million) transfer sum for Pelé’s supposed heir Neymar—continue to bulge, with Cristiano Ronaldo the latest headline-maker after pivoting to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and overall annual earnings reportedly circling €186 million ($200 million). While from the outside peering in, press office culture tries to control professional players’ outward profile to the nth degree.

It wasn’t a polar opposite world. Alan Ball famously breathed new life into the apparel market by donning white boots the same year Pelé won his first World Cup in 1970. But it was markedly different from now, where dozens upon dozens of soccer players are magnets to agencies and all sorts of brands.

Naturally, Pelé became involved in the corporate world after retiring. Then a name in business spheres—which included links to a Mayfair hedge fund keen to manage him—rather than an active player, he was perhaps harder to define in that arena, one he had indirectly shaped. It was an altered environment from the impoverished early days from which he forged a glittering career, playing a brand of soccer ahead of its time.

Instead, his enduring impact derives from inside stadiums and the humility he showcased to the people he met. As for inspiring the next generation, many of his contemporaries have found themselves in the Spanish capital. Pele may not have enjoyed a stint there, but his flair lives in those who do.

Valdano arguably encapsulates the man better than anyone, saying, “Pelé was a lovely man—and the idea of perfection for me.” Nobody’s perfect. But in those heady, innocent days that cemented his soccer legacy, he perhaps was.