WISE men tell us that out of national tragedies, heroes arise — and so it was with football-loving Brazil after their shock 2-1 defeat by arch-rivals Uruguay in the World Cup Final of 1954 at their revered Maracana Stadium.

Enveloped with wide, national disillusionment at the disappointing loss, Brazil took a chance on a special youngster with amazing skills in the following World Cup campaign of 1958, and the rest is indelibly celebrated in the sporting history of our time.

Brazil not only triumphed in winning the World Cup with superlative team play but also the astonishing wizardry of the 17-year-old Edson Arantes do Nacimento, known to the world thereafter as Pele. Playing alongside brilliant practitioners such as the equally gifted Garrinsha on the right wing, Zagallo on the left, Vava at centre forward, Didi and Captain Bellini marshalling midfield, with wing backs Nilton and Djalma Santos, a golden age of Brazilian football was set on the beautiful game.

Incredibly, Brazil would go on to win two more World Cups in 1962 and 1970 with Pele (also called The King), as pre-eminent star and conductor, being the only player to achieve that feat while scoring 12 goals in 14 matches over four World Cup campaigns.

At the end of his glittering career he justified the sport writers’ acclaim of being the greatest footballer of all time by also scoring an impossible 1,281 first class goals, including 77 from 92 matches in the national colours and 643 in 649 games for his Brazilian club, Santos. At the height of his powers in 1965 he scored a record 105 goals.

Perhaps little known was Pele’s role as football’s transcendent goodwill ambassador in which he, in 1974, returned to the game to not only represent the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League and took them to championship victory, but more importantly popularised the game and the league which has undoubtedly led to the USA becoming a major footballing nation.

So go now to our great God, King Pele. You have enchanted us with your amazing skills and concluded your work on earth with Garveyan dignity. Renew your magical collaboration and play once more with Garrincha “the little bird”, the legendary Brazillian great Leonidas, and other masters of the game.

The Founders Group and all who love beautiful football salute you.

Paul Buchanan is a former Member of Parliament for St Andrew West Rural who represented Wolmer’s Boys’ School and Jamaica at cricket and football, among other sports, and also played on Jamaica’s Under-14 football squad in the 1960s.