Did Pelé really score more than 1,000 goals in his career?

Pelé, the "King" of Brazilian football, long claimed to have scored over 1,000 career goals, a figure that still sparks debate. Today, the question "Did Pelé really score more than 1,000 career goals?" divides historians and football fans alike.

This article offers a rigorous analysis of this legendary figure, comparing official statistics recognized by FIFA and sporting bodies with totals that include numerous friendly matches. We also examine the arguments for and against including unofficial goals, as well as a comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo to place this record within the modern context of football goal records .

The origin of Pelé's 1,000 goal figure

The legendary Edson Arantes do Nascimento , known as Pelé, and his lifelong club Santos FC boasted a total of over a thousand career goals. Pelé himself perpetuated this myth of 1,000 goals : his Instagram bio described him as "the all-time top scorer with 1,283 goals" .

This figure of 1,283 comes from a count that includes absolutely every match played by Pelé, including numerous friendlies, exhibition tours, and other unofficial games. For example, Santos claims that Pelé scored 1,091 goals for the club by including friendlies (compared to 643 goals in official competitions). Similarly, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) recently argued that Pelé scored 95 goals for the national team by including 18 goals scored in Brazil's friendly matches against clubs – while FIFA officially recognizes only 77.

The idea of ​​Pelé scoring more than 1,000 goals is therefore explained by a very broad counting of all the matches played.

Pelé's official statistics: how many official goals?

If we only count official matches (national and international competitions, official club and national team games), Pelé's total is well below a thousand. According to generally accepted historical data, Pelé scored 757 goals in official matches during his career – including 643 with Santos, 77 with the Brazilian national team, and 37 with the New York Cosmos.

Some organizations, such as the Rec Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF), raise this number to 767 official goals by including some scored with local teams (São Paulo) or during his military service. In any case, the total officially recognized by most governing bodies is around 757 to 767 goals, far from the over 1,000 goals claimed in the expanded tally.

Should goals be counted in friendly matches?

Every goal counts, according to Pelé and Santos. In Pelé's era (1950s-1970s), world tours and friendly matches were commonplace, and the level of competition sometimes remained high. Pelé's supporters therefore believe that a goal is a goal, regardless of the context. Santos FC defended the value of these achievements, stating that a goal scored against a smaller team on a tour is just as valuable as a goal against Real Madrid . When Lionel Messi broke the modern record for goals for a single club (644 with FC Barcelona), Santos issued a statement reminding everyone that Pelé had actually scored 1,091 goals for Santos, including friendlies, lamenting that "the 448 goals scored in friendlies have been ostracized, as if they were worth less than others." From this perspective, excluding unofficial goals would be tantamount to minimizing a part of Pelé's footballing history.

Modern standards exclude unofficial goals. Conversely, according to contemporary criteria, only goals scored in official competitions should be considered in statistics and records. The hundreds of goals Pelé scored in unofficial matches— 526 according to data compiled by historians—are excluded from official totals because these matches were not sanctioned by a recognized championship or cup. The majority of these 526 goals were scored against modest or unconventional opponents : for example, Pelé included in his personal tally a match in which he scored six goals against the Rio de Janeiro Athletes' Union , a hat trick against Bulgaria's B team, and a brace against the Ghanaian club Accra Hearts of Oak. These exhibition matches—often organized to celebrate Pelé's popularity and generate revenue—would not carry any weight in a player's official statistics today.

This is why historians believe that counting unofficial goals greatly exaggerates Pelé's record , and prefer to stick to official figures to compare with today's players.

Pelé vs Cristiano Ronaldo: comparison of official goals

Comparing him to modern goalscorers puts the debate into perspective. In March 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 758th official career goal, which many observers assumed meant he had surpassed Pelé's record of 757. However, a debate arose because, based on Pelé's total of 767 official goals attributed to him by some sources (including his goals for the São Paulo state national team and the military team), Ronaldo had not yet broken the record at that point. The Portuguese star himself expressed his respect for Pelé when considering these particular matches: he took the figure of 767 as a benchmark and celebrated surpassing him by reaching 770 official career goals .

Since then, Ronaldo has continued to add to his tally and now dominates the goalscoring charts with over 850 official career goals – an absolute record in the history of football. By comparison, Lionel Messi also recently surpassed 800 official goals, effectively eclipsing Pelé's total by current standards. These modern comparisons illustrate that today, only official goals are considered when establishing records, which explains why Pelé's legendary figure is being re-evaluated.

Conclusion: The myth of King Pelé vs. statistical reality

The question of whether Pelé "really" scored more than 1,000 goals has a nuanced answer. From a strictly statistical point of view, and according to contemporary criteria, Pelé did not score more than 1,000 goals in official matches – his official total is around 757 to 767. However, if we include all the matches he played (regional championships, friendlies, exhibitions, etc.), his personal tally does indeed exceed 1,000 goals ( 1,281 to 1,283 goals in total are often cited).

Ultimately, the veracity of the "1,000 goals" figure depends on the standards used. According to current standards, this figure is not officially recognized, but it remains a legendary element fueling Pelé's prestige. This myth of Pelé's 1,000 goals reflects another era, when all goals were counted indiscriminately, whereas today only goals scored in official competitions are considered valid for record books and scoring charts. Regardless of the calculation method, Pelé remains a global football icon whose efficiency in front of goal, in both official and friendly matches, is virtually unparalleled in the history of the beautiful game.

Sources: FIFA, RSSSF, Eurosport , Business Insider, RMC Sport , L'Équipe and historical archives.