Flying Machine - Pele at the peak of his powers, signed by Pele

When Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born in the Brazilian town of Tres Coracos in October 1940, no-one could have predicted the phenomenal impact he would go on to have on the beautiful game. Football would never be quite the same again.

Pele - as he became known at school - remains the game's greatest ever player more than 30 years after he finally hung up his famous boots and while rivals to his crown have come and gone, he is and will forever be the king of football.

Signed by Sao Paulo at the age of 11, Pele burst onto the international stage as 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, scoring twice in Brazil's final triumph against the hosts. The first chapter in the Pele legend had already been written but there were many more iconic moments to follow.

Injury denied him the chance to play in a second World Cup final in 1962 after scoring in the tournament opener against Mexico but he was back on the biggest stage of them all eight years later to lead Brazil to another famous victory.

Many consider the 1970 Brazilian side the greatest team in the history of the game. Pele was the captain and heartbeat of the side and in the final he scored the first goal and set up two more as the South Americans crushed the Azzurri 4-1 in what is widely regarded as the best performance ever in a World Cup final.

Brazil's third World Cup triumph ensured they were to keep the famous Jules Rimet trophy indefinitely and Pele's place in football folklore was assured.

He finally retired from the game in 1977 after playing for New York Cosmos. He had played 92 times for his country, won three World Cup and scored over a thousand career goals. No-one has ever come close to eclipsing him.

Own a piece of sporting history

Pele's career yielded countless iconic images over the years but his personal favourite is this stunning shot of his bicycle kick against Belgium in 1968, a picture which perfectly reflects the legendary Brazilian's athleticism, skill and grace.

This 30x20 print is personally signed Pele himself and is a stunning piece of sporting memorabilia that shows the three-times World Cup winner at the peak of his footballing powers.

Each print is issued with a certificate of authenticity signed by our managing director.