23 October: Pelé, and Yekini hugging the net
Pelé
«O Rei»
- Bauru Atlético Clube 1953-1956
- Santos Futebol Clube 1956-1974 · 643 goals
- Santos Futebol Clube 1957-1974 · 1091 goals
- New York Cosmos 1975-1977 · 111 goals
Seventeen years old
The son of Dondinho, a modest striker born on 21 October, he grew up in Bauru, in the interior of São Paulo state, and at fifteen joined Santos. At sixteen he was already an international.
At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden he was seventeen. He scored the goal that knocked out Wales in the quarter-final, a hat-trick against France in the semi-final and two goals in the final against Sweden. He finished weeping on his team-mates' shoulders. Nobody so young has ever shone like that at a World Cup.
1962 and 1970
In Chile in 1962 he was injured in the second game and watched Garrincha, born on 28 October, win the World Cup almost single-handed. In England in 1966 he was kicked out of the tournament and Brazil went out in the first round.
In Mexico 1970 came his masterpiece, with the Brazil of Jairzinho, Tostão, Gérson and Rivelino that is still regarded as the greatest team in history. Pelé opened the scoring in the final against Italy at the Azteca and laid on the fourth goal for Carlos Alberto. A third World Cup.
Santos and goal number one thousand
With Santos he won everything there was to win in South America. On 19 November 1969, at the Maracanã against Vasco da Gama, he scored from the penalty spot what was counted as his thousandth goal, and the game was stopped to celebrate. In 1975 he joined the Cosmos and helped bring football to the United States. He died in December 2022.
That he is the highest goalscorer in history with more than 1,200 goals.
That the figure includes a huge number of friendlies, exhibition tours and games against military or local sides, at a time when Santos travelled the world playing exhibition matches. In official matches his tally is around seven hundred and fifty. That is still extraordinary, but it is not a record that can be compared directly with those of today's stars.
Also born on 23 October
Rashidi Yekini, the goal hugging the net
A Nigerian striker, his national team's all-time top scorer and African Footballer of the Year in 1993. At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, in the opening game against Bulgaria, he scored Nigeria's first ever World Cup goal. He celebrated by climbing into the goal, clinging to the net with both arms and screaming, one of the most famous images of that tournament.
The following year he joined Sporting Gijón, where he spent two seasons, from 1995 to 1997, without really settling: he played fourteen league games and scored three goals. He died in Nigeria in 2012.
- Shooting Stars Fútbol Club 1982-1984 · 45 goals
- Abiola Babes 1984-1987
- Africa Sports National 1987-1990
- Vitória Futebol Clube 1990-1994 · 90 goals
- Olympiacos Fútbol Club 1994-1995 · 2 goals
- Real Sporting de Gijón 1995-1996 · 3 goals
Álvaro Morata, the captain in Berlin
A Madrid-born striker who came through at Real Madrid, with whom he won two Champions Leagues, and played for Juventus, Chelsea and Atlético. He was Spain's captain at Euro 2024 and lifted the trophy in Berlin.
- Real Madrid Club de Fútbol 2010-2014 · 10 goals
- Real Madrid Castilla Club de Fútbol 2010-2013 · 45 goals
- Juventus 2014-2016 · 15 goals
- Real Madrid Club de Fútbol 2016-2017 · 15 goals
- Chelsea Football Club 2017-2019 · 16 goals
- Atlético de Madrid 2019-2020 · 18 goals
🔴⚪ Sporting Gijón players born this day
They played for Sporting Gijón and were born on this same day. There is only their data here: we would rather name them than leave them out, and rather give the bare facts than invent a story.
Mate Bilić 🔴⚪
- HNK Hajduk Split 1998-2001 · 19 goals
- NK Mosor 1998-1999
- NK Mosor 1999
- Real Zaragoza 2001-2004 · 1 goals
- Unión Deportiva Almería 2002-2003 · 9 goals
- Real Sporting de Gijón 2003-2004 · 15 goals
Jeffrey Hoogervorst 🔴⚪
- Club Marino de Luanco 2002-2003 · 4 goals
- Real Sporting de Gijón 2002-2006
- Real Madrid Castilla Club de Fútbol 2006-2007
- Fútbol Club Barcelona 2007-2008 · 1 goals
- Club Marino de Luanco 2009-2010 · 3 goals
- Zamora Fútbol Club 2010-2011
Claudio Silva 🔴⚪
- Real Sporting de Gijón
- Rayo Vallecano
Another 50 internationally known footballers were born on this day. We do not list them for the sake of it: only those with a story to tell make it here.
📅 The almanac: pick any date
Every day of the year has its story. Highlighted days are already out: click to see who was born or what happened on that date. The faded ones go live on their day, at midnight (Spain time). 37 published.
Football almanac · Elopi23
January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September14 ★
- 11 September: Ruud Gullit
- 1111 September: Franz Beckenbauer
- 1818 September: Ronaldo
- 2020 September: Henrik Larsson
- 2121 September: Sándor Kocsis
- 2222 September: Thiago Silva
- 2323 September: Quini
- 2424 September: Marco Tardelli
- 2525 September: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
- 2626 September: Michael Ballack
- 2727 September: Francesco Totti
- 2828 September: Javi Poves
- 2929 September: Andriy Shevchenko
- 3030 September: Frank Rijkaard
October23 ★
- 11 October: George Weah
- 22 October: Alisson Becker · Roberto Firmino
- 33 October: Zlatan Ibrahimović
- 44 October: Jorge Valdano
- 55 October: Kopa, Rial, Di Stéfano, Puskás and Gento
- 66 October: Bruce Grobbelaar
- 77 October: Diego Costa
- 88 October: Zvonimir Boban
- 99 October: Gheorghe Popescu
- 1010 October: Tony Adams
- 1111 October: Bobby Charlton
- 1212 October: Cristhian Stuani
- 1313 October: Raymond Kopa
- 1414 October: Matt Le Tissier
- 1515 October: Didier Deschamps
- 1616 October: Paulo Roberto Falcão
- 1717 October: Sergio Goycochea
- 1818 October: Julio Olarticoechea
- 1919 October: Gunnar Nordahl
- 2020 October: Claudio Ranieri
- 2121 October: Paco Gento
- 2222 October: Lev Yashin
- 2323 October: Pelé
November
Nothing from this month is out yet. One goes live each day, on its own date.
December
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★ published · ✎ written, waiting for their day · the red circle is today
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