Did Pele Stop a War
Pele did, in fact, manage to stop a war – albeit temporarily.
Did Pele stop a war? This has been a frequently asked question on Google after the football legend sadly passed away at the age of 82.
Widely regarded as the greatest footballer in history, Pele won a record three World Cups for Brazil, and his legacy in football even managed to transcend beyond the sport into politics, such was his immense popularity.
So, did Pele stop a war? Let’s take a look…
DID PELE STOP A WAR?
Pele did, in fact, manage to stop a war – albeit temporarily.
Back in 1969, Nigeria and Biafra – a state keen to break away from the central government – became embroiled in a civil war.
It lasted for more than two years, with an estimated two million citizens losing their lives while a further four and a half million were displaced from their homes before Nigeria eventually overran Biafra.
How did Pele stop a war?
In the midst of this brutal civil war, there was a 48-hour ceasefire as Santos and Pele arrived to play a match against Nigeria in Lagos.
Pele scored twice in a 2-1 win against the Super Eagles, receiving a standing ovation from the home supporters.
It is widely believed that Pele’s popularity, and the desire of millions to watch him in action, led to the civil war being put on hold during his two-day trip to Lagos.
His Santos teammates at the time, Gilmar and Coutinho, even claimed that they could hear the resume of gunfire as their plane was leaving the war-torn land.
There have since been conflicting reports on this incredible story, with Nigerian blogger Olaojo Aiyegbayo claiming that he failed to find a single newspaper article about the ceasefire while researching it.
Nevertheless, the official website of Santos states that the civil war came to a brief halt purely due to the presence of Pele, with millions desperate to catch a glimpse of the South American sensation.
PELE VISIT TO NIGERIA
Nigeria was not the only nation Pele and Santos visited.
The Brazilian giants paraded their talisman around the globe in the late 1950s, realising that there was a serious amount of money to be made by embarking on a world tour with this star-studded Santos side.
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In Andres Campomar’s book Golazo!, Pele is quoted as saying: “I remember counting that I had played 109 times for Santos alone in 1960. There was no break in the year’s football.”
While that must have been exhausting for Pele, it clearly provided a welcome distraction to many suffering from the conflict in Nigeria, even just for a matter of days.
There may never be another footballer in history who captures the planet’s attention as Pele did, and everybody at HITC hopes the footballing legend rests in peace.