2021 Goldin Elite Closing Jan 30 &31
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/30/2021
Pelé, considered by several generations of enthusiasts to be the world’s foremost "footballer," became a national hero in Brazil, and then he helped to jump-start soccer in the U.S. with his play for the New York Cosmos from 1975-77. Pelé is almost universally acclaimed as the most distinguished representative of the popular international sport.
During his 15 years with Brazil's national team, Pelé broke hundreds of records. He is considered by FIFA to be the most prolific scorer in soccer history, with 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches across all competitions. He's the most successful striker in Brazil's history, with 77 goals in 92 international matches. Pelé is the only player to have won three World Cups, and he is one of only two players to have scored in four World Cup competitions.
Graded PR 1 by PSA. National Soccer Hall of Fame and International Football Hall of Fame enshrinee, in an especially rare and much-coveted Rookie Card appearance. This is one of just five specimens recorded in PSA's census reporting. A truly exceptional collectible, issued in its esteemed subject's Brazilian homeland, this Pelé Rookie Card displays a colorful and vibrant, caricature-style image of then 18-year-old soccer prodigy. The delicate card shows evidence of past mounting in a limited-distribution, "World Champions in Cartoons" album (as was intended by design), and the piece suffered a peripheral, bottom-edge tear as a consequence. An important and desirable piece with favorable display quality, in technically assessed Poor condition.
This fascinating and elite collectible represents a rapidly growing, world-wide market for the finest soccer cards that now boasts six-figure prices realized in several recent sales of high-grade Pelé Rookie Cards.