"Story about torture made me desist" - Pele missed the 1974 World Cup to protest despite being only 33 years old at the time

In a 1999 interview, Brazil legend Pele admitted that he did not participate in the 1974 FIFA World Cup to protest against his country’s military regime.

Arguably football’s greatest-ever player, Pele, took his last breath on December 29, losing his long-standing battle with colon cancer at the age of 82. The Brazilian remains the only player in history to win three FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970).

A year after making history by firing Brazil to World Cup glory, the former Santos man retired from the national team, despite being only 30 years old at the time.

In a TV interview, Pele revealed he was physically fit to represent Brazil at the 1974 World Cup, having been only 33 years old at the time. But he decided against it after learning about Brazil’s military regime’s misdeeds.

Speaking to CBS, the legendary forward said:

“I had left the national team in '71, and in '74 I was in good shape. But that story about torture made me desist.

“The military tried to force me. I was pressured with tax questions, but I decided to stick to my position.”

Brazil’s armed forces took control of the nation in 1964 and reigned for 21 long years. In that period, many political figures were tortured and killed by the military, often without being proven guilty.

Coincidentally, Canarinho enjoyed their best-ever spell in football during their regime. The government used the national football team’s exploits to boost its popularity.

The “Black Pearl” admitted he was not aware of his country’s misdeeds at the start. When asked why he took part in the 1966 and 1970 World Cups, Pele replied:

“I didn't know what was going on.”

The legendary forward, who was at Santos until 1974, revealed that the military called him to the national team in 1973 and wanted him to play in the World Cup.

“I was the league's high scorer and they called me up. They came with insinuations,” he said.

“I told them, if it were a war I would go, even as cannon fodder, because I'm Brazilian and this is my country. But it's a sport, it's soccer, it's the World Cup and I'm not going.”

Without Pele leading from the front, Brazil failed to overcome Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands in the semi-finals. Many fans thought that Selecao would have fared better had the No. 10 been in their ranks.

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Neymar pays heartfelt tribute to Pele, lauding him for turning football into art

Brazil’s poster boy Neymar took to Instagram soon after “Le Roi’s” demise to share his thoughts. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star penned a heartwarming message, thanking the all-time Brazilian great for transforming football, making it an art form, and giving the No. 10 jersey meaning.

His post read:

“Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. I’ve read this phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say before Pelé football was just a sport.

“Pelé has changed it all. He turned football into art, into entertainment He gave voice to the poor, to the blacks and especially: He gave visibility to Brazil. Soccer and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He's gone but his magic remains. Pelé is FOREVER!!”

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Neymar equaled Pele’s international goal tally (77) to become the joint all-time top scorer for Brazil.

Gracious as ever, Pele congratulated Neymar for touching the milestone with a wholesome Instagram post.