Letter signed by Pelé (1969)

In 1969, in the midst of the dictatorship, King Pelé writes to President Médici. 

• Letter from Pelé to President Emílio Garrastazu Médici, with the envelope (it says: "Pelé's request" probably from an assistant to Medici).
• One page + Envelope.
• In Portuguese.
• 16 cm x 22.3 cm (letter).
• November 23, 1969, Santos.
• Excellent condition.
• Unique piece.

Brazil experienced a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, a period marked by political repression, human rights violations and significant censorship.

In this dark period, Pelé, considered one of the greatest football players of all time, was at the height of his glory. In 1969, Brazil won its third Football World Cup. Pelé, star of the team and top scorer in the final, saw the victory celebrated as a national triumph, strengthening, in a way, the legitimacy of the military regime that needed a global conquest to consolidate the image of a successful country.

In this context, this letter addresses Pelé's controversial relationship with the military dictatorship in Brazil. His stance generated debates and divergent interpretations about his role during that troubled period in the History of Brazil. Some see him as an accomplice to the regime, while others see him as a careful apolitician who simply tried to focus on football.

As always, the truth is probably halfway there. But it is worth remembering that when he left the Brazilian team in 1971, Pelé confronted several politicians from the country's military regime, also faced powerful sports directors, such as João Havelange, and had to deal with racism on the part of public opinion that continues to this day, even after his death.

Letters from Pelé are very rare, this one is exceptional due to the recipient and the political and sporting context. Also interesting are Pelé's atypical signature, the envelope and the small text on it that could have been... "request from the King to the President".