Macro Levels Trends – Brazil – Latin America: WEF 2018 : Pelé

As The World Cup progresses to the final 16 teams, it seems as if much of the world is on a sub-conscious summer slowdown, with both raised expectation of national team possibilities, and strange enjoyment of an odd football cultural mix akin to a Russian vodka-based Latino mojito.

Even with Europe's CO2 gas shortage that adds the fizz, and barrels substituted by bottles, around the world avid fans will be drinking their favourite tipples. From remote villages with jam-packed rooms serving only the national beer, with a 20 year old portable television and the need for constant aerial tweaking that all too often coincides with the roar of a goal. Through to the hyper-reality of enormous wall-screens and surround sound, enjoyed with craft beers, a myriad of gin styles or perhaps a select 'vins-de-garage'.

Millions will continue to gasp and sigh as the world's most competent players demonstrate both the best and worst of 'the beautiful game', from exquisitely choreographed ball skills practiced again and again in training, to what seems hardly choreographed bad acting for supposed injuries.

“They don't make footballers like they used to” will inevitably be said by the older generation, when the folklore of fierce yet gentlemanly players wore clumsy boots, ran across 'potato fields' and struck and headed a heavy leather ball.

Between the 1880s and 1940s most did it with grunt, brawn and guts, but from the 1950s onward a new form arrived from Brazil, with game-changing innovation that demonstrated grace, pace, space-creation and acrobatic artistry never seen before; and one man in particular astounded the old guard.

His is known by his childhood nick-name......Pelé.

Today a father-figure of, and ambassador for, Brazil, Mr Edson Arantes do Nascimento was named after Thomas Edison, for his innovations that helped bring a worldwide provision of energy and light to all.

In turn, Pelé has continued to high-light the plight of Brazil's poor and over six decades has simultaneously enrich the lives of the oft forgotten people and become a virtual living-god for many; the man who came from nothing, and upon self-taught skill and self-effacing humility, become a global icon.

So it is apt that the Latin American section of the World Economic Forum held in March invited Pelé to speak of his accumulated knowledge and the vital question of how to continue to improve matters in Brazil at such a crucial juncture today.

Unfortunately, the crux of the subject was not explored given time constraint, but the following provides his thoughts, from 'An Insight, and Idea...with Pelé', in conversation with Ms Costa.

She mentioned the fact that the WEF awarded him that very day with the honour 'Honourable Citizen' as an example to the world, itself only otherwise won in the sports field by Mohammed Ali.

[NB this award is particularly prosaic now, since whilst he has been hailed as a shining beacon, he has had the personal pain of having to endure his son being caught-up in and indited of drug-related money-laundering charges. Hence we glimpse a snapshot of the concerning webs that are woven with association to fame)].

The conversation was as follows...

Ms Costa -

After a flattering introduction....“I understand you told your father you would win the world cup for him?”...this the apocryphal story after Edson saw his father cry when Brazil lost the World Cup in his childhood.

Pelé -

“Yes, but only because of (childhood) confidence” and the wish to make his father feel better.

“But firstly my thanks to all those who wished me well regards my recent surgery”.

“God has been generous, because the only thing I wanted was to be like my father”, himself a football player. “I was able to do what I did in 1958” (when 17)”

Costa -

“But you became famous over-night, the face of Brazil; what was it like at the time?”

Pelé -

“I had no knowledge of other countries, and in my training to go to Sweden I found out others had no knowledge of Brazil. Other nationalities would confuse Brazil with Argentina, and that made me indigent given the ignorance. I had the novelty of encountering another world, with blonde-haired, green-eyed girls, and their desire to learn about Latin America. So I had the mission to make Brazil better known to the outside world”.

“Of course I was not alone, through the national team other players publicised Brazil”.

Costa -

“What changed for you?”

Pelé -

“When we went our knowledge was purely football, but today (60 years later) we have a multitude of other peoples informed of and in Brazil, and the great thrust for this was soccer.

Costa -

“To continue to speak about this period, in 1962 and 1966 Brazil lost the World Cup, and you suffered from a lesion so could not play. Was this the greatest regret?”

Pelé -

“The greatest frustration was to demonstrate to the English in 1966 – football invented by them and the tournament held in England – that we were as good as them, since it had been shown in 1958. I had this lesion and though played against Portugal (where he showed deftly brilliance against an overtly 'physical' Portugal) could not play in the final, and we lost”.

Costa -

“The coming World Cup was in 1970, and although there was talk of you not playing or semi-retiring, you played and Brazil won”.

Pelé -

“There was rumour, but I had always intended to play, but was afraid of the same injury repeating itself, which I mentioned to journalists and so the story ran. But to play was a great responsibility and I worried I might not be able to given 100%”

“But we won in 1970, and I thought why not leave as a champion? The press stated that the lesion was a continued problem and that there were personal issues with the President of Brazil, but the latter was untrue. Back then even small talk or loose talk became newspaper fodder, unlike today as a player is so heavily media-managed”

“I realised I had to be better prepared, as people were expecting more of me”.

Costa -

“Do you think that idea of a champion can be assumed by others in their efforts in life?”

Pelé -

“Life itself is a competition, personal growth and in all senses, life is like a soccer game and no one wants to be defeated but to have success. We don't practice to lose, and that must be the central message”.

Costa -

“What was your biggest defeat?”

Pelé -

“Here I must thank god, since they were 'just' injuries”. (initially lesion and later replacement hip and femer surgury, having to periodically use a wheelchair, as seen at the Russian World Cup draw event). “I got here in my new car” (and smiles broadly, illustrating a retained child-like innocence and appreciation for the things he could never have dreamed of as that child). “So beginning to better move around”.

Costa -

“Who was your biggest supporter?”

Pelé -

“I cannot recall them all, but I suppose the support of my team-mates, and specifically my father. He played in several teams but never a big win. He was my best example because he had the experience and said 'you are not better (than others) god gave you that goal, just be prepared'. That's the best example I received and my gratitude goes to him. Also of course my mother who gave me life”'

“He also said I should think twice about retiring from football in the early 1970s and from the Santos Club. But instead I went to he USA to the Cosmos Club and worked with young people in schools and clinics to promote the sport”.

Costa -

“We now take questions from the audience”

Audience Member -

“You said you'd dedicate your 1000^th goal to the children...what do you think you gave to these children?”

Pelé -

“It was just a fortunate coincidence...we were training in Vila Belmiro and it was a good moment for me to go back to education and the care of children. Everyone knows the field is in the middle of Santos town. I happened to leave early and two children were trying to steal a car, and I talked to them about what they were doing. Two weeks later we were in Rio and I scored the 1000^th goal and was asked to say something. The car episode came to mind and so asked the government to give more attention to children issues.

(NB as a notional contrast to Brazil's issues, please view the YouTube video of teacher Kersten Westcott of Green Bay School, USA, providing  a snapshot of the everyday problems; illustration of the out of control school system that plagues so many supposedly advanced countries today).

Costa -

“But this is the legacy you have left”

Pelé -

“Hence the foundation and UNICEF efforts, so everyone can help. Presently we are going through a difficult phase in Brazil, but children and youth are the basis of tormorrow, so things must be done”.

Audience Member -

“An honour to meet you....please describe the feeling of scoring”

Pelé -

“A friend said 'its like an explosion'. Its difficult to explain, and depends on the circumstances of the match. It may be a training session, a friendly game or World Cup, the emotion is different. What matters is the need for it. Yes its nice to perform a 'bicycle-kick goal' (reverse overhead kick) in a high scoring game, but when its 0-0 in a World Cup Final or even a Penalty, your feeling is different

Costa -

“1,283 goals...that is your record”

Pelé -

“Yes, everything from 'the bicycle' to the 1000^th goal as a penalty. The penalty looks easy to those not taking it. But to the player the box feels small and the goal-mouth very small. But much depends upon the moment”.

Audience Member -

“As an Englishman, I'd like to thank you for allowing us one win in the World Cup (1966), but my question is 'who do you like to watch play these days and why'?”

Pelé -

“Nowadays our 'child' is Neymar (who wear's Pelé's number 10), but also Argentina's Messi. Ronaldo is the 'third man'. Since I was born in a city that means 3 Hearts I will choose these 3.”

“Thankyou all, and its nice to receive the (spiritual) energy from the crowd. Lastly let's ensure that the World Cup 2018 is a Good Party”.

To End -

Since his retiring from football Pelé has been the inspirational face of not just football, but of Brazil itself, and was one of the originators of formally connecting the obsession of football for so many to the needs and life-outcome of many generations of youth.

The ability to focus energy into an obsession grows not just skill and knowledge of that discipline, but perhaps more importantly provides for the development of learning, self-belief and self-discipline that are lessons for life. Life success is never assured, but without these attributes failure most definitely is, and that's the educational lesson that such foundations, clinics and centres offers the young. Moreover the idiom of mutual respect whereby one can learn not just from the discipline's teachers or mentors, but from many in the group en mass.

Before reaching Russia, the 2018 Brazilian Squad spent some time at Tottenham Hotspur's new 77 acre Training Facility in Hotspur Way, in the Borough of Enfield, North London.

Like many other boroughs and locations over the UK, Enfield itself has in recent years experienced an ever higher degree of media-fuelled and gang-related youth culture problems; the budget retraction of specific youth programmes designed to offer new hope and avenues (the carrots), now necessarily replaced by new laws to counter the spread of web-centric gang-related anti-social behaviour (the sticks).

Tottenham's new training facility is multifaceted in its aims and goes far beyond serving top-flight professionals, towards not only the nurturing of tomorrow's stars, but by creating a 'can do' atmosphere for the greater good of inspiring a new generation.

Inevitably, one issue that remains is that top-end football is a big-money game, and its own participant's and their own Personality Managers enjoy the luxuries that come with high salaries, performance bonuses and sponsorship deals. Hence, it is inevitable, and perhaps only fair, that a luxury lifestyle is enjoyed for the previous years of devoted hard-work, the normal enjoyment forgone and the pressures of being a renowned player.

But that lifestyle – fed by our brand-centric socio-topology - also inevitably speeds the wheels of youth envy, aspiration, materialism, and a 'get rich (quick)...or die trying' mentality amongst those most influenced; and so inadvertently in turn underpins the snowballing of social problems.

But there is a rare breed of player – as with the best in any discipline – who still retains the joy of the artform, and for whom the 'beauty' of the 'beautiful game' takes precedent over all else.

Even whilst in that world, they do not focus on the materialistic gains - which themselves draw troubles, as seen with countless players from Maradonna down - but on the acquisition of true personal grace embued from high artistry and they seek to replay that in their public and personal lives.

To confound the idiom of youth culture....

…....it's not the clothes you wear, what you drink or the car your drive.....

…....its about the personal brilliance and light that is born from inside and shines-out

Mr Edson Arantes do Nascimento continues to show us how.

Pelé

(since 1958).