Pele’s professional career spans 21 years yet even beyond that, to this day, card manufacturers continue to ride the coat tails of his success and push their products with modern day chase cards of the King. For these reasons it is likely true that Pele is the most well documented soccer player in the history of cardboard. However, it is also true that Pele’s cards are in higher demand than those of any other player and that many of his issues would be considered the cornerstone of any good card collection including several hobby grail cards.

In a 2019 auction, a 1958 Pele Alifabolaget (Swedish producer) became the first known soccer card to break the $100k mark. One of the only actual “cardboard” issues of Pele in ’58 with a wonderful “singular” depiction of Pele in the Brazilian blue kit worn at the ’58 Cup in Sweden.

Since 2019, the Alifa grail card has been seen in several auctions with higher grade examples now routinely topping $250k. In 2021, a PSA9 example was one of the first soccer cards known to be publicly offered for “fractional ownership.” The IPO shares were quickly sold-out and the ownership group has reportedly recently turned down a sale that would have put the purchase price well north of $400k.     

In 2020, Goldin auctioned the only known graded 1957 Oliveira & Benassi- Balas Equipe card (PSA 1.5). This is Pele’s earliest known appearance on cardboard (or paper as it may be) yet the sale topped out with a winning bid of approximately $184k. Although this may seem a hefty sum, this Brazilian issue is not only earlier but much rarer than the more popular ’58 Alifa. As with other “ultra-rare” cards in the hobby, one thing that will likely negatively impact the growth of this card is the lack of comparative sales and the gradual evolution of price change (what some refer to as the “leapfrogging” effect).

The next level of Peles from 1958, are the Quigol, the Colecao Titulares and the Aquerela (with Blue and Black numbered reverses).  For many years, the Quigol was actually more in demand than the Alifa and was routinely outselling its Swedish counterpart. However, the Quigol is a paper issue from Brazil (whereas again the Alifa is a smaller cardboard issue from Sweden) the result being, the Alifa is much more available in higher grades than the Quigol. Although these distinctions were not impressive to the early soccer card enthusiasts from outside of the US, once the soccer market opened-up in the US and the Alifas began getting submitted to the grading companies and coming back with higher slabbed grades, the Alifas ended-up actually surpassing the demand (and price) of the rarer Brazilian, Quigol. These two cards are a great example of how the US collectors’ reliance on the grading companies has impacted card values insofar as it is not simply the card which determines the value but the subjective grade of the plastic that encases it (and its creation of a subjectively manufactured rarity).

The Colecao Titulares has two Peles in its set, one in a Santos uniform and another in a Brazilian kit. These are also exceptionally rare with total populations at PSA currently at about 50% of the Alifa and grades much more prevalent at the lower end of the scale.

The Aquerela with its perforated edge is the most unsightly of the ‘58s and probably the most common even when its two different reverse varieties are taken into account. 

In 1958, the magazine Swedish Rekord issued a series of regular cards (two athletes side by side) that were printed onto the cover of their magazine. Pele’s depiction is found next to Garrincha on an addition in 1958 and is most valuable when it is hand-cut with both players together though even the single cut Peles now routinely top $1,500 at auction. Having the cards intact with the magazine uncut adds a premium as there are simply not many left in an unmolested state.

In Italy, Pele makes an appearance with Vava on a smaller sized cardboard VAV issue. Again, at one point this was considered one of the more valuable ‘58s but as with the Quigol, has lost ground to the Alifa because these early Italian issues have not survived well in higher grades. Also impacting the value of the card is the shared space with Vava and the minimal size of Pele’s (black & white) portrait.

Also in 1958, Pele is could be found on the ultra-rare Unela Pam-Pam gum wrapper out of Israel though admittedly, I can’t find a single recorded sale (going back years) to even get a comp for consideration. Further, there seem to be no known examples existing in the Population Reports at this time. 

Last to discuss from 1958 is the Bremner Fachring from Germany. This is a German set that was printed with a very limited print run as it was exclusive to the City of Bremen. The drawback on this set is that the cards (in black and white) are rather unattractive and Pele (who is on 5 different cards) is always in an action shot with several other players and not often the focus of the image. This set was heavily promoted at one point for its rarity however, interest has certainly seemed to have cooled when compared to other Pele issues.

The 1958 A Gazetta card is not a card and not even worth discussing but for the fact that PSA was duped into slabbing this as a card when in fact it is nothing more than an LP album that was cut apart by a clever collector who was able to take advantage of PSA’s lack of knowledge (or interest) in soccer and create an (albeit) temporary market where one should not even exist.

A noteworthy issue from 1959, is the Heinerle from Germany showing an airborne Pele in a red jersey (even though Brazil never played in a red jersey). The miss-coloring of jerseys in the ’59 Heinerle set has become a kind of folk legend in the hobby as there are several kits wrongly colored (i.e. Barcelona in green) which, is quite inconsistent with the excellence the world typically expects from detail found in German manufacture. This card was, for a time being, thought to be a 1958 issue since the image depicted is a famous photo from the ’58 World Cup and because of that, the Heinerle was for many years confused as a Pele Rookie (which it’s not). That aside, the ’59 Heinerles are very difficult to find in higher grades for two reasons (1) they were often glued into albums and finding a clean back copy is challenging, and; (2) the cards are slightly larger than typical cards which has made corner wear a common occurrence.

In 1959-’60, the rare Cardmaster can be found (occasionally). Like the Heinerle, for many years this was considered a Rookie until later research proved otherwise. Still, this is an exceptionally rare Pele issue and does not appear at auction often. As with the ’57 Balas, this card’s price has been suppressed not as a result of demand or rarity but simply because price appreciation has not occurred in the same manner as other more frequently sold issues.

In 1961, Pele makes a second appearance in a Heinerle set, this depiction showing the youthful Pele in his Santos kit. This card has become extremely popular in the last few years and may very well one day even surpass the earlier Heinerle issue from ’59.   

From hereon, Pele appears in several sets throughout the ‘60s. Perhaps his rarest Italian issue is the ’62 EDI (two reverse varieties) where his most popular issue being the ’62 Marca Stella flag card with image qualities similar in style to the legendary oversized Joe Namath ’65 Topps football card. The ’62 flag Stella can also be found with a rare pink background variety as opposed to the more common red backdrop.

Between 1960 and 1962, Stella and Nannia created several Pele cards using the same image. There are a variety of differences in size, card stock, reverses, borders and backdrops.

Pele’s first Panini is in the 1964 Calciatori Coppe set and many sets thereafter (including the very popular Mexico ’70 set) with his last (contemporaneous) issue being in the 1973-’74 Campioni depicting Pele in his final year as a Santos player.

Other rare Italian issues of Pele can be found in the ’62 San Giorgio set, as well as the ‘64 Baggioli. The Sidam issues from ’62 (cardboard and plastique) are quality cards but nonetheless, rather more common.    

There has been a significant uptick in demand for Pele’s cards out of Argentina more particularly, the cards by Crack from 1964-‘67. Collectors are now realizing how few of these cards actually still exist (in any condition) and the higher grade examples are now demanding significant premiums. Leading the way is the 1965 Golazo which features a style borrowed from Topps 1960 Football set. The 1966 Campeon is also very popular (and equally rare) followed by the very unique caricature card from the 1967 Sport set with Pele appearing wearing a crown. The ’67 Sport is exceptionally hard to find in top condition not only because Argentine sets from the ‘60s are almost always beaten-up but adding to that, this is a #1 card and as such, even more susceptible to damage.   

Although missing from the English A&BC cardboard sets, Pele can be found in the A&BC Stamp set from the 1966 World Cup. As stated before, this is an immensely popular set with English collectors and the values on all of the cards in this set is reflective of that.

Perhaps though the rarest card of Pele from the 1960s is actually in the French issue by Suchard from 1968. This card almost never appears at auction and even when it does, collectors are so unfamiliar with it that it never seems to get the due accolades it deserves.   

Showing his international appeal, Pele makes the rounds in even short-printed sets from tiny countries and obscure areas all over the globe. He can be found in the 1962 unknown “beautiful eastern block ugly” set from Yugoslavia; the ’62 Estrellas set out of Mexico; as well as many other sets (especially around World Cup years) in Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, Peru, Russia (c.1974) and others.     

Last, although Pele was pivotal in the development of US soccer, the lack of any real NASL sets has denied collectors a contemporaneous issue to chase. That being said, one little known novelty card worth pursuing before the modern-age is the limited edition, hand colored Klecknor Cab card from the 1980s/ 90s.