October 12th, 2016: Celebrating the Universal Language of Fútbol

Pelé's Famous Bicycle Kick

This past Wednesday, I had the fortunate opportunity to join a viewing of Pelé: The Birth of a Legend (2016) with one of the producers of the film. I was never much of a soccer player myself, but I was captivated by Pelé's story and skills. The movie transported us to Brazil and took us through the same journey that the Brazilians experienced with their World Cups. I was really able to connect with the movie and feel the sorrows when the Brazilians lost their 1950 world cup. This connection at the beginning of the movie allowed me to embark on a journey with the characters and be more invested in Pelé's success. When the Brazilians went to the 1958 World Cup with Pelé, it was fascinating to see how soccer was the universal language that all these different countries spoke. Whether you speak German, Spanish, or French, you can appreciate a great soccer player like Pelé.