Pele: Birth of a Legend

2016 1h 47m English 7.1

Action, Biography, Drama, Sport

Under guidance from manager Vicente Feola (Vincent D'Onofrio), young (just 17 years of age) Pelé (Kevin De Paula) utilizes his street football skills to lead Brazil to the World Cup in 1958 in Sweden, against the reigning Olympic champions Soviets. Brazil was lucky to qualify, has mixed race team and injuries to boot as it entered the final. They are forced the play the 17-year-old reserve.In 1950 Brazil. Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Dico) is a young boy, making a living, polishing boots. He and his buddies play football (which is made out of stolen clothes). Brazil is playing the world cup final against Uruguay. Celeste (Mariana Nunes), Pele's mother doesn't like Dico's interest in football and wants him to stick to polishing shoes and earning a living for the family (they are dirt poor). Dondinho (Seu Jorge), former footballer and father of Pelé, is more supportive. Brazil loses the 1950 final 2-1 to Uruguay. Dico promises his crying father that one day he will win the world cup for Brazil. Celeste tells Dico that Dondinho was a gifted footballer but was dropped when he hurt his knees and ended up as a janitor.While helping his mom scrub floors at a rich person's apartment, Dico hears that Waldemar De Brito (Milton Gonçalves), former Brazilian footballer and scout, is looking for players for his club. Dico wanted to be like Pele (a goalkeeper for a local club, Vasco), and Jose teases him with this nickname. The nickname sticks. José Altafini "Mazzola" (Diego Boneta) is the son of the rich family and bullies Dico. Dico shows up at the selection trials and soon, his team is up against the snobs headed by Jose. Dico's team doesn't have boots, so they steal some bags of peanuts and try to sell them to raise enough money to buy boots, but Jose sees them and gets into a fight with Dico, thwarting his plans. But his friend manages to get them some old shoes.The final match is attended by Brito. Soon Dico is down 6-0. He sees Dondinho in the audience and feels sad. Pele removes shoes. Barefoot, Pele shows his skill as Jose and his team can't even touch him, while he scores a goal. In 10 mins, Pele brings the score to 6-5, but the clock runs out. The crowd chants for Pele. Brito gives his card to Dondinho, but Celeste is dead against the idea of Pele playing football. She forces Pele to join his father as a janitor at the local hospital. The life goes out from Pele's eyes. Dondinho can sense this and trains Pele with mangoes, to keep his spark alive. Pele grows to be a teenager. One day Celeste sees them. She relents and calls Brito. Brito recruits Pele for the Santos football club. Pele is 15. He is selected for the youth team. due to the new styles of coaching, Pele's confidence is shot, and he earns a reputation for not scoring goals. He decides to leave, but Brito brings him back from the railway station.Brito tells Pele how the original football was developed as a form a martial art by African slaves who escaped their Portuguese masters. When they returned, after slavery was abolished, martial arts were outlawed and thus the Africans brought their art to football. But this art was lost in Brazil and Brita wants Pele to bring it back. In the next match, Pele abandons the formation style being forced by his coach and plays in his own way, scoring a spectacular goal. Pele is on his way and soon plays for the Junior team. Soon, he is selected for the Pro team. Pele is the top scorer even there.Jose Mazzola and Pele are both selected for the Brazilian team for the 1958 world cup. Pele is only 16. Feola (Vincent D'Onofrio), the head coach of Brazil national team at 1958 FIFA World Cup doesn't like the Ginga style as Brazil thinks it lost the 1950 world cup due to that style of play. Jose represents the modern European style. Pele's colleagues are Garrincha (Felipe Simas) and Zito (Fernando Caruso). Feola is dead against the traditional Ginga style and makes Pele promise never to revert to it. This promise is broken in the very next match, when Pele reverts to Ginga style, but ends up busting his knee in the process. It is too late to replace Pele on the team and the physio is not sure if Pele can play. Feola is criticized for allowing the Ginga street style of football in the national team.Brazil heads to the world cup after Paraguay withdrew from the qualifiers, giving Brazil a free pass. Swedes are favorites to win. Pele is under medical care by the team doctor. First match is vs Austria, which Brazil wins 2-0. The knee is still too weak, and the doctor advises Feola against playing Pele, but Feola wants the doctor the clear him. They hold England 0-0, but 3 of their star players (including Jose) are injured. The next match is against the Soviets and Feola has no choice, but to play Pele. Pele has a torrid time and is pushed around by the large Soviets and booed by the crowd. But Pele survives and plays the next match with France, the Semi-final. Half time is 1-1, but Pele is starting to find his feet. At half time Pele meets Jose and admits that Jose should play instead of him. Jose tells Pele to play with his heart, as Jose is afraid to be on the pitch, while Pele is not. Pele reverts to Ginga and scores his first goal at the world cup. Pele scores a hat-trick in the match and Brazil wins 5-1.Brazil is to meet hosts Sweden in the finals. George Raynor (Colm Meaney), the head coach of the Sweden national team at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, promises that his boys will take Pele out of the equation in the final. He calls the Brazilians undisciplined and abnormal (due to their mixed-race team). Feola tells his boys to play the Brazilian way and abandons his European formations. No team from outside Europe has ever won the world cup in Europe. The Swedes hunt Pele down and knock him around on the field. Soon, they are up 1-0. Pele spots some blacks watching the match in the last stands and is inspired. He reverts to Ginga and the Swedes can't touch him even as he engages half the team and allows his team mates to score 2 goals. Now the entire Brazilian team starts playing in Ginga harmony and they smile as they enjoy themselves. Pele scores 2 goals in the final. The crowd now applauds the Brazilians. Brazil wins 5-2.Pele was declared a national treasure in 1961. Pele and Brazil won the 1962 and 1970 world cups as well. He remains the youngest winner of world cup at 17 years, and the only player to have won 3 world cups.