Pelé

Pelé is a study in presence. Shot at close range, this portrait captures the focus, calm, and gravity of a man who carried the expectations of an entire sport — and delivered on all of them. Photographed by José Dias Herrera, this iconic photograph of a 16-year-old Pelé was taken at Maracanã Stadium (Estádio do Maracanã) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during his historic international debut for the Brazilian national team on July 7, 1957. Facing Argentina in the Copa Roca, Pelé came on as a substitute and scored his first international goal, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Brazil’s national team history—a distinction he continues to hold. 

Named FIFA's Player of the Century and the only man to win the World Cup three times, Edson Arantes do Nascimento — known the world over as Pelé — scored 1,283 goals in 1,366 matches. These photographs document his career across four decades, from his earliest years at Santos FC to his legendary performances on the world stage.

Hand-signed by Pelé. Each print in this collection carries Pelé's personal signature — making these among the most directly authenticated works of sports photography available to collectors.

Printed as a museum-quality Silver Gelatin Print, produced using traditional darkroom techniques on fibre-based photographic paper. Silver gelatin remains the gold standard for black-and-white photography — rich in tonal depth, archivally stable, and built to last generations.

Available in strictly limited editions. Each work is supplied with a certificate of authenticity.

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