Neymar’s father’s company announces purchase of Pelé brand | OneFootball

This Tuesday, at an event held at the Pelé Museum in Santos, NR Sports, the company owned by Neymar’s father, announced the purchase of the Pelé brand. The rights previously belonged to Sport 10, a North American agency.

The deal was valued at around 8 million dollars (about R$ 43 million).

“It’s a feeling of pride to be able to bring this brand back home. Pelé is global. He’s spectacular. We had a strategic partner and managed to make this dream come true. You can’t talk about Santos without Pelé and vice versa. Now we’re going to do long-term work. The brand will be eternalized, we’ll make sure it’s involved in everything related to Santos,” said Neymar’s father.

“Neymar’s return gave us a positive experience regarding Santos and Brazil. It will be important for Brazil to bring this brand back. Pelé is the greatest of all time. We’re going to make sure this is eternalized. It will be explored both nationally and internationally,” he added.

Photo: Rodrigo Matuck/Gazeta Press

And what about Neymar?

Neymar Jr. was not at the event. The Santos attacking midfielder, who underwent knee exams this afternoon, appeared only in a video shown on the big screen at the Pelé Museum.

“I am very happy to be part of this historic milestone. Bringing back such an important brand for world football and having it return to Brazil is wonderful. We were the main factors in making this happen, and I am very proud of my father, NR Sports, and to be doing something grand for someone who deserves every possible tribute,” declared the athlete.

The ceremony was attended by Flávia Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé’s daughter, Dona Maria Lúcia, the King’s sister, as well as great eternal idols of Santos and Brazilian football who played alongside Pelé and were part of his story, among them Clodoaldo, Pepe, and Edu.

What does the purchase mean?

Now, NR Sports will manage the global rights for the management, licensing, and protection of the Pelé brand. This new phase includes product lines, educational initiatives, cultural actions, strategic partnerships, and original content aimed at new generations of fans and football lovers who did not witness his history but still feel his influence.

Eternal King

Pelé passed away on December 29, 2022, at 3:27 p.m. (Brasília time), as a result of multiple organ failure caused by the progression of colon cancer.

At Santos, Pelé formed unforgettable teams alongside Dorval, Mengálvio, Coutinho, and Pepe; he won two Libertadores, two World Club titles, six Brazilian championships, three Rio-São Paulo Tournaments, and ten São Paulo State Championships. The King also broke the 1,000-goal mark for the Peixe, scoring 1,091 times in 1,116 games.

He spent 18 years at the Alvinegro Praiano, from 1956 to 1974.

Historic numbers

In his career, he scored 1,283 goals in 1,366 matches, averaging 0.94 goals per game. Pelé was recognized not only for the goals or titles he won, but for the enchanting way he played with the ball at his feet.

After hanging up his boots, the King received countless honors recognizing his career and legacy. In 1981, the French newspaper L’Equipe named the Brazilian the athlete of the century. In 1998, FIFA awarded the number 10 the title of best player of the 20th century.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.