On the threshold of December 25th, the eyes of the global soccer world were focused on the news of the aggravated condition of "King" Pele. At the same time, the New Express Newspaper with a long report, delicate tracing the footprints of Pele's past many visits to our country.
Pele, a legend in the history of soccer, has already set foot on Chinese soil more than once. Back in 1977, he joined forces with the American Cosmos for a tour that spanned the globe. The team was star-studded with soccer greats such as Beckenbauer and Torbic, in addition to Pele himself. In the passionate atmosphere of Beijing's Workers' Stadium, the Chinese national team and the Cosmos played out an intense 1-1 draw. This was followed by a 2-1 victory for the Chinese national team over the Cosmos at the Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai.
Pele exclaimed, "Before I came to China, I only knew that China was a vast country with a lot of land and resources, but I didn't realize that China's soccer skills were also quite exquisite." He also paid special tribute to national team member Yung Chi-sing, whom he described as a world-class player.
In 1991, Pele was invited to Guangzhou to observe the first Women's World Cup (then known as the "First Women's World Championship"). In addition to having his picture taken with Avilanchier, Pele also strolled through the streets of Guangzhou, leaving warm moments of shopping visits. He even went to the second elementary school in Jiangnan Xincun, Haizhu District, to watch the children's soccer training.
As the World Cup was about to begin in Korea and Japan, Pele traveled to Beijing to visit the majestic Badaling Great Wall. On top of the Great Wall, the Brazilian soccer star also tried his hand at the ancient sport of cuju.
Time has passed and seven years ago Pele visited Guangzhou again, visiting the then Guangzhou Evergrande's training base, the Lishui Training Base. Here, he attended a special event with Evergrande manager Carlo Cannavaro, player Elkeson and pianist Lang Lang. On the spot, both Cannavaro and Elkeson became "fans", full of admiration for Pele, the soccer superstar.
