PELE is arguably the greatest footballer of ALL time – but his goal tally has always been controversial.
Sadly, the Brazilian legend will spend Christmas in hospital as his colon cancer worsens.
Pele is set to spend Christmas in hospital
And his daughter has pleaded with fans to pray for Pele during this tragic time.
But no matter what, one thing that can never be taken from the three-time World Cup winner is his goal-machine title.
However, there has been many disputes over the years about just how many goals Pele did score.
How many goals did Pele score in his career?
In 2015, Pele posted a tweet claiming that he had scored 1,283 goals during his illustrious career.
Pele’s goal tally has been controversial for many yearsRex
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And that puts him top of the charts in football history as the greatest goal scorer ever.
However, Guinness World Records have shaven four goals off of that tally as they believe Pele has scored 1,279.
Whereas the RSSSF recorded the Brazilian superstar’s goal count at even less – 778 goals.
The truth is that Pele hit the back of the net 778 times in official competition’s, but the inflated tally stems from friendlies and European tours with Brazilian side Santos.
Pele also reportedly counted matches he played for the Sixth Coast Guard in a military competition against non-professionals.