How many goals did Pele score in his career? A legendary number that still stirs debate
Pele (via Getty Images)
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, remains football's greatest icon. The great Brazilian and three-time
FIFA World Cup
champion has fascinated fans and historians alike over the past decades, not just due to his medals but also due to his remarkable goal-scoring feats that continue to raise eyebrows all these years after retirement.
Pele
's goal count is a standard of reference in
football history
Pele's goal record, including for Brazil and club teams Santos and New York Cosmos, has contributed to debate about his position among football's all-time greats. Though official figures in his time were not always recorded, estimates and official reports give a better idea of his effect on the field.
Pele's First FIFA World Cup Goal
Pele scored 77 goals in 92 games for the Brazil national team, a record that was the highest in the history of the nation for decades.
They consist of 12 out of 14 FIFA World Cup appearances, placing him among the all-time leading scorers in the tournament.
At a record-breaking 17 years and 239 days, he became the youngest player ever to have scored for the FIFA World Cup, achieving that feat against Wales in 1958. Shortly after, his hat-trick in the semi-final against France and a double in the final against Sweden cemented his place in history.
Pele's Greatest World Cup Moments 💛🇧🇷
Domination at club level with Santos and New York Cosmos
On the club level alone, Pele scored 680 official goals, 643 of which he scored for Santos FC, a record only just broken by Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona.
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He scored another 37 goals while playing with the New York Cosmos, where he played until he retired in 1977.
These figures alone make him one of the greatest goal scorers in history. But Pele's overall contribution goes far beyond official competition.
The actual number: How many goals did Pele really score?
Including friendlies, exhibitions, matches at the youth level, and unofficial games, Pele's goal total explodes. FIFA and the Guinness World Records both recognize differing numbers.
FIFA traditionally quotes 1,281 goals, while Guinness documents 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches.
The Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF), which takes pride in its archival precision, records 778 official senior football goals, a few more than FIFA currently accepts.
In a curious twist, Pelé personally reported that he had scored 1,283 goals, counting all games—including two after-retirement exhibition matches with Santos. Though current superstars
Cristiano Ronaldo
and Lionel Messi have reached the 800 milestone in competitive games, none have come close to Pele's overall tally, considering both competitive and exhibition matches.
Also read:
What's wrong with Brazil! Pele's children in a free fall, at home and abroad
A legacy that goes beyond numbers
Whatever the figure is, 757, 778, or 1,281, nobody can dispute that Pele's goal tally is a gargantuan tome in the annals of football history. The Brazilian icon not only scored goals — he revolutionized the sport, motivated generations, and created benchmarks that even today's stars are measured by.
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