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Pelé, actor
Actor

Pelé: Movies & Box Office

films
32
on screen
1962–2025
box office
$19.3M
average score
75
Born
October 23, 1940
Birthplace
Três Corações, Brazil
Full name
Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Citizenship
Brazil
Occupations
Footballer, Humanitarian
Years active
1956-1977
Spouses
Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi, Assíria Lemos Seixas, Marcia Aoki
Children
7
Career at a glance

Pelé's Career in Numbers

Pelé's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Pelé works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from O Barão Otelo no Barato dos Bilhões (1971) to Gold Stars: The Story of the FIFA World Cup Tournaments (2017), and the 1980s were the busiest decade.

Pelé Movies by Decade

  1. 1970s 1
  2. 1980s 5
  3. 1990s 1
  4. 2000s 1
  5. 2010s 1

The 1980s were Pelé's busiest decade, with 5 films.

Pelé Movies by Genre

  • Drama 3
  • Documentary 2
  • Sport 1
  • Comedy 1
  • Family 1
  • Fantasy 1

Drama is the genre Pelé has worked in most, with 3 films, ahead of documentary (2).

Pelé Career Milestones

Biggest box office hit
Victory $10.9M worldwide
32 credits

Pelé Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Pelé is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Rated films average a score of 75. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Pelé in Documentaries & Specials

23
  1. 2025 O Carnaval é de Pelé (2025) movie poster O Carnaval é de Pelé as Self · Documentary
  2. 2023 L’Âge d’or de la pub (2023) movie poster L’Âge d’or de la pub as Self (archive footage) · Documentary
  3. 2021 Pelé (2021) movie poster Pelé as Self · Sport Movie Echo Score: 76
  4. 2021 Sergio Mendes in the Key of Joy (2021) movie poster Sergio Mendes in the Key of Joy as Self · Documentary
  5. 2020 Jair Rodrigues - Let Them Talk (2020) movie poster Jair Rodrigues - Let Them Talk as Self (archive footage) · Documentary
  6. 2019 Diego Maradona (2019) movie poster Diego Maradona as Self · Biography Movie Echo Score: 80
  7. 2018 In Search of Greatness (2018) movie poster In Search of Greatness as Self · Documentary Movie Echo Score: 70
  8. 2016 Bobby (2016) movie poster Bobby as Self · Documentary
  9. 2014 Ilusión Nacional (2014) movie poster Ilusión Nacional as Self (archive footage) · Documentary
  10. 2012 Santos, 100 Years of Playful Soccer (2012) movie poster Santos, 100 Years of Playful Soccer as Self · Documentary
  11. 2010 A Day in the Life (2010) movie poster A Day in the Life as Self (archive footage) · Documentary
  12. 2010 Todo Poderoso: O Filme - 100 Anos de Timão (2010) movie poster Todo Poderoso: O Filme - 100 Anos de Timão as Self · Documentary
  13. 2009 Simonal: No One Knows How Tough It Was (2009) movie poster Simonal: No One Knows How Tough It Was as Self · Documentary
  14. 2007 Dare To Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team (2007) movie poster Dare To Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team as Self · Documentary
  15. 2006 The Art of Football from A to Z (2006) movie poster The Art of Football from A to Z as Self · Comedy
  16. 2005 Coisa Mais Linda - Histórias e Casos da Bossa Nova (2005) movie poster Coisa Mais Linda - Histórias e Casos da Bossa Nova as Self (archive footage) · Music
  17. 2004 Pelé Forever (2004) movie poster Pelé Forever as Self · Documentary
  18. 2003 Born To Be Blind (2003) movie poster Born To Be Blind as Self (uncredited) · Documentary
  19. 2001 Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) movie poster Mike Bassett: England Manager as Self · Comedy
  20. 1969 Superstição e Futebol (1969) movie poster Superstição e Futebol as Self · Documentary
  21. 1966 Goal! (1966) movie poster Goal! as Self · Documentary
  22. 1963 Ecco (1963) movie poster Ecco as Self · Documentary
  23. 1962 O Rei Pelé (1962) movie poster O Rei Pelé as Himself · Drama
Biography

Who Is Pelé?

Pelé was born in Três Corações, Brazil in 1940. Credited on films since 1962, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, was born on 23 October 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil and died on 29 December 2022. He was a professional footballer who played as a forward and is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. Throughout his career, he won three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962, and 1970, marking him as the only player to achieve this feat. Pelé was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999 and was included in Time's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. He also held the Guinness World Record for his 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including matches outside of professional leagues.

Pelé began his professional career with Santos at 15 and his international career with the Brazil national team at 16. His impressive performance led to his nickname, O Rei (The King). He later played for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League and ended his 22-year professional career in 1977. Off the pitch, Pelé was known for his charismatic sportsmanship and was dubbed 'The Black Pearl'. His popularity led to his teams touring internationally, attracting crowds wherever he played. Well after his retirement, he continued to be recognized globally through his ambassadorial and humanitarian work, becoming an everlasting figure in football.

Works with

Who Pelé Makes Movies With

The actors and directors Pelé shares the most films with. John Huston comes first, with 3 films together, followed by Frank Sinatra (2).

FAQ

Pelé: Questions & Answers

How many movies Pelé has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Pelé been in?

Pelé is credited on 32 films, from 1962 to 2025. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Pelé's highest-grossing movie?

Victory (1981) is Pelé's biggest box office hit, with $10.9M worldwide, ahead of Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) ($5.02M). Across every film with box office figures, Pelé's movies have made $19.3M.

Pelé's biggest hits

What is the best Pelé movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Pelé's best-rated film is Diego Maradona (2019) with a score of 80, followed by Pelé (2021) (76).

Best Pelé movies, ranked

What is Pelé's newest movie?

The most recent film on Pelé's filmography is O Carnaval é de Pelé (2025), in the role of Self.

Who does Pelé work with most often?

Pelé shares the most films with John Huston (3 films), Frank Sinatra (2 films) and Sylvester Stallone (2 films).

The Best Pelé Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 32 credits.

See the ranking

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