Sports Hero of the decade

Pele was 30 and had two World Cup medals in his pocket by the time the 1970s began. Yet in the World Cup final in Mexico in 1970, his Brazilian team submitted a performance of such wonder in beating Italy 4-1 that it seemed to define the era. Pele was astonishing, heading in Brazil's first goal and producing two brush strokes of genius to create later goals. In the era of colour television, the world at large saw his genius. A career haul of 1,281 goals, a dazzlingly inventive football brain and a sweet turn of pace: Pele had everything. In the 1970s he performed perhaps his last miracle, becoming the first and last soccer player to truly capture the imagination of the US.