Pelé: Celebrating The King

Today TheArchive and the world mourns the loss of a legend - we celebrate and commemorate a man whose foot and heart had power to boot.

Pelé is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer (Portuguese: futebol) players of all time. He was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil.

As a young boy, Pelé was passionate about soccer and began playing at a young age. He quickly rose through the ranks, joining the Santos Football Club at just 15 years old. It was there that he first gained international fame, leading Santos to victory in the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores.

Pelé's talent on the field was undeniable, and by 1958, he helped lead Brazil to victory in the World Cup, scoring a memorable goal in the final match against Sweden.

Pelé's success on the international stage only continued to grow in the following years. He helped lead Brazil to victory in the 1962 and 1970 World Cups, scoring a total of 12 goals in World Cup play. His skill, speed, and athleticism on the field were unparalleled, and he was known for his ability to score spectacular goals.

Off the field, Pelé was also a humanitarian and advocate for social justice. He used his fame and influence to raise awareness and funds for a variety of charitable causes, including children's education and healthcare.

Pelé's career spanned more than two decades, and he retired from professional soccer in 1977. Despite his retirement, his impact on the sport has lived on and he remains an inspiration to athletes of all kinds around the world.

Pelé will always be remembered as one of the greatest soccer players of all time and an enduring symbol of the beautiful game.

We are grateful to be able to revisit his gift through his star turn in our title Hotshot.

Hotshot, stars the legendary Pelé who plays a forgotten champion. He has turned his back on the game until he encounters another great who must overcome his own self defeat to claim the greatness they can only achieve together. 

The Hotshot cast is stellar and also stars Jim Youngs (Footloose). 

While he’s a solid soccer player, Jimmy (Youngs) is a spoiled, arrogant, troubled, and out of control rich kid. He blows his career with his current team and is suspended. To make things worse, his close friend ends up paralyzed. So hitting rock bottom, Jimmy has an epiphany, seeks out the legendary Santos (Pelé basically playing himself) all in an attempt to channel his wisdom and grace and mount a comeback; and do it all for his paralyzed pal. Well in real buddy fashion, they become fast friends and enjoy a series of shenanigans in Brazil as Pelé becomes the ‘Mr. Miyagi’ to Youngs’ Daniel San. Jimmy is seemingly rehabilitated, and there is a rousing come from behind scene that you’ll just have to watch….

But there’s reason to watch if just for Pelé alone, and for a certain familiar and recent nostalgia just coming out of World Cup. 

Rounding out the cast is Mario Van Peebles playing a Jamaican defender, Penelope Ann Miller as the love interest, and Jimmy Smits.

Pelé has only been in a few movies (and most recently featured in a doc on Netflix, art above), but in Hotshot he's at his best. As such and because he was in so few movies, TheArchive has 4K restored this sports buddy rarity to stream free now.

We hope this gives you a nice moment with Pelé, as we remember of all that he brought the world and will continue to, for generations of superstars to come.

           

     

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