Pele was eventually convinced to sign a multimillion-dollar deal with US club New York Santos in June 1975, aided by then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who wrote a letter to the Brazilian government stressing how important his presence would be for bilateral relations.
'I was lucky enough to play with Wayne and he was a huge player who I looked up to. I watched him play in the major tournaments and it's a huge honour to be close to him.'
Barney Ronay wrote in The Guardian: "A World Cup win is a vindication on many levels.
Steven Gerrard became the sixth English player to play 100 times for his country when he captained his side against Sweden in their friendly international to open the Friends Arena on Wednesday.
Bobby Moore's grandchildren led the teams out before West Ham United played Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Upton Park on Monday as his former club marked the 20th anniversary of his death.
David Beckham became England's most capped outfield player when he won his 109th cap as a halftime substitute in the friendly against Slovakia at Wembley on Saturday. Beckham, 33, beat the previous record of 108 caps he shared with the late Bobby Moore, England's 1966 World Cup-winning captain.
Rediff.com's Norma Godinho captures classic moments from the planet's greatest sports competition: The FIFA World Cup.
David Beckham will equal Bobby Moore's outfield record of 108 England caps if he plays in the friendly with Spain, one of a number of mouthwatering international clashes this week.
Brazil soccer great Pele died on Thursday, aged 82, after a long battle with cancer.
David Beckham returned to the England squad on Saturday when coach Fabio Capello named him in his 23 for Wednesday's friendly away to Spain. Beckham, who turns 34 in May, was left out of the squad for the friendly against Germany in November but now looks set to equal Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an outfield player by playing some part against the European champions in Seville.
England brushed aside Slovakia 4-0 in a friendly at Wembley on Saturday, a victory notable mainly for David Beckham's 109th cap and a rare international goal for striker Emile Heskey. The 33-year-old Beckham, who replaced Aaron Lennon at halftime to move past the late Bobby Moore as England's most capped outfield player, marked his milestone by setting up Wayne Rooney for England's second 20 minutes from time.
Goalkeeper Peter Shilton said he would be the first to congratulate David Beckham if he beat his record -- but would be surprised if he did.
Beckham says his aim is to beat the appearance records set by Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton.
Fifty years on from the greatest day in the history of English football, pessimists fear that the prospect of becoming world champions again is as remote as it has ever been.
Football legend Pele has termed Argentine forward Lionel Messi as the "best in last 10 years", but also spoke highly of his fellow Brazilian Neymar and Portugal's Ronaldo.
West Ham United have agreed to sell their ground at Upton Park to London developer Galliard Group once they have moved to the Olympic Stadium in 2016, the club announced on Monday.
Pele's medal from his first World Cup victory in 1958 when he was just a teenager sold for 200,000 at least 60,000 more than its estimated price tag.
England captain acknowledges and appreciates diverse culture in team
David Beckham, one of the so-called "Class of 92", went on to win six Premier League titles under Alex Ferguson at United alongside youth-team buddies Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Gary and Phil Neville. Beckham also won two FA Cups and, memorably, the Champions League in 1999. He topped up his trophy collection with a La Liga winners' medal for Real Madrid and added two MLS Cups during a north American adventure with LA Galaxy.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A brief history of previous World Cup semi-final appearances by England and Croatia, ahead of their last four match at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Former England defender Sol Campbell believes he would have been national team captain for more than 10 years if he was white, according to extracts from his new biography that is being serialised by The Sunday Times newspaper.
>The World Cup captain was a remarkable species: Always trying, pushing, lifting, harassing, delivering; the kind who would unhesitatingly jump into the deep end to save the day. They're all gone now, says Dhruv Munjal.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances