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Pelé's Story
Pelé was born in Brazil in 1940. His real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His family was very poor. As a boy, he couldn't afford a real soccer ball, so he kicked a sock stuffed with newspaper! Pelé practiced every day. By age 15, he was playing professional soccer. By age 17, he helped Brazil win the World Cup! He scored over 1,000 goals in his career. People called him the greatest soccer player of all time. Pelé showed that talent and hard work can overcome poverty.