Pele's funniest flexes of all time

Every football fan on the planet knows who Pele is. The Brazilian is an icon of the game; the beating heart of Brazil's fabulous 1970 World Cup winning side, a record breaking goal scorer and a man widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever grace the football field.

However, post retirement, he's also turned out to be a little bit petty.

After hanging up his boots, Pele has been partial to a bizarre boast or two. Let's take a look at his very best weird flexes.

1. Leading goalscorer of all time

Pele is very protective over his records. His official goal scoring tally stands at 757 across his glittering career for Brazil Santos and New York Cosmos.

However, the three-time World Cup winner maintains that he actually netted 1,283 goals to make him the world's all time top scorer. He technically did if you count exhibition matches, tour games and friendlies - but no one apart from Pele does.

But this is something he just will not let go, and quoting his self-calculated goalscoring record has become something of a catchphrase.

2. Leading goalscorer of all time (Instagram official)

When Pele's official goal scoring figure of 757 was overhauled by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Brazil forward was quick to remind everyone that he has in actual fact scored more goals than this and he is the rightful all time top scorer record holder.

Such is his insistence that the record belongs to him, Pele has added 'Leading Goal Scorer of All Time (1,283)’ to his Instagram bio.

Imagine being one of the greatest players to ever play the game, a triple World Cup winner with a wonderful legacy and at the age of 80 still being concerned about the Gram.

3. Diamond hair

Any piece of personalised merchandise can come across as a little self indulgent - but Pele's 2014 number makes all the celebrity endorsed perfumes in the world pale into insignificant.

The Brazil legend teamed up with jewellers Brilho Infinito to bring out a selection of limited edition statuettes of him in action, complete with a one-carat diamond made from - wait for it - carbon extracted from a strand of Pele's hair. All for the measly price of $7,500.

And for the absolute icing on the cake, guess how many limited edition statuettes were brought out.

1,283.

4. Reducing a goalkeeper to tears

Why spend $7,500 on a personalised Pele hair diamond when you can just trawl through his Twitter feed? Because this is where the real gems are found.

"Once, in a match in Senegal, the goalkeeper cried so much after I scored that he had to be substituted! He had lost a big bet!" Pele wrote in February 2019.

Nothing better than having a chuckle about men crying and match fixing all in one tweet. We particularly enjoyed the lavish use of exclamation marks.

5. Crashing an Elton John concert

In March 2019, Pele took the chance to wish Sir Elton John happy birthday - by telling an anecdote to remind everyone how famous, popular and loved he is.

"Happy birthday to Sir Elton John. I went to watch him live once. He pointed me out and I had to leave before the crowds got too big!"

Did they not have that message in Card Factory?

Imagine what Pele's like on his own actual birthday. I bet he's one of those people who insists on having his very own birthday week.

6. Referee mindgames

When you're so universally adored, sometimes even referees - the most pedantic of all beings - will bend the rules for you.

We're looking forward to Pele's 2021 tweet where he reveals that his popularity once resulted in a parking enforcement officer giving himself a ticket.

7. Pathetic fallacy

Pele called time on his illustrious career in 1977, but simply recalling how he and his adoring supporters were quite sad is not poetic or flexy enough for the Brazilian great.

Was the sky really crying, or was it just that goalkeeper from Senegal again?

To be fair to Pele, legend does say that on that fateful day in 1977, the sky cried 1,283 tears.