--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I played for Santos at 16, and we had an…" description: "\"I played for Santos at 16, and we had an excellent team, so it helped a lot. And then I played for Brazil at the Maracana against Argentina. So I get m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/pel-6980_against_i-played-for-santos-at-16-and-we-had-an_791672.png" --- # I played for Santos at 16, and we had an excellent team… ![“I played for Santos at 16, and we had an excellent team, so it helped a lot. And then I played for Brazil at the Maracana against Argentina. So I get more experience. This was one year before the World Cup, and it made a lot of difference.” quote by Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/pel-6980_against_i-played-for-santos-at-16-and-we-had-an_791672.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/pel-6980_against_i-played-for-santos-at-16-and-we-had-an_791672.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/pel-6980_against_i-played-for-santos-at-16-and-we-had-an_791672.png) > “I played for Santos at 16, and we had an excellent team, so it helped a lot. And then I played for Brazil at the Maracana against Argentina. So I get more experience. This was one year before the World Cup, and it made a lot of difference.” [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early high-level competition accelerates development and confidence, leading to better performance in major events. **In simple terms:** Playing with top teams early boosts skill and confidence. Key Takeaway Seek challenging experiences early. Themes development confidence performance Mood proud reflective Type motivational historical When to use this quote - Youth academy - national team debut - major tournament preparation Key Concepts skill acquisition experience team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can talent be nurtured without early elite exposure? - What role does confidence play in performance? A Different Perspective Limited access to elite opportunities can hinder growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argentina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argentina/) [Brazil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brazil/) [Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World cup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-cup/) ## Related quotes > [My father played for Sao Paulo for several years. I played in Brazil, too, and made a lot of friends there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-forlan/my-father-played-for-sao-paulo-for-several-years-i-played-in-brazil/) [Diego Forlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-forlan/) > [We know Faith No More from back in Brazil; when they played Brazil, we'd hang out with them and became good friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cavalera/we-know-faith-no-more-from-back-in-brazil-when-they-played-brazil-we/) [Max Cavalera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cavalera/) > [Playing alongside Messi is special for me. He's a player I always wanted to play with. I have played against him with Brazil, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulinho/playing-alongside-messi-is-special-for-me-he-s-a-player-i-always/) [Paulinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulinho/) > [Pele just played in Brazil and then played in New York for Cosmos. But Maradona played in Argentina for Boca Juniors then he moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-heinz-rummenigge/pele-just-played-in-brazil-and-then-played-in-new-york-for-cosmos-but/) [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-heinz-rummenigge/) > [A World Cup without Argentina isn't good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaka/a-world-cup-without-argentina-isn-t-good/) [Kaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaka/) > [A World Cup without Argentina and without Messi would be a catastrophe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-kempes/a-world-cup-without-argentina-and-without-messi-would-be-a-catastrophe/) [Mario Kempes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-kempes/) > [Argentina is a very interesting culture because unlike Europe and the US, they did not abandon rock and roll music, they did not turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-raphael/argentina-is-a-very-interesting-culture-because-unlike-europe-and-the/) [Gordon Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-raphael/) > [What I love the most is playing with Argentina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-di-maria/what-i-love-the-most-is-playing-with-argentina/) [Angel Di Maria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-di-maria/) > [Venezuela, with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, is a full member of Mercosur. And many other Latin American countries, CARICOM, Bolivia have expressed their support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/venezuela-with-brazil-argentina-paraguay-uruguay-is-a-full-member-of/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [Argentina is a marvelous place. Argentines are great bankers of information. They import information; if someone sneezes in Milan or in New York, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilio-ambasz/argentina-is-a-marvelous-place-argentines-are-great-bankers-of/) [Emilio Ambasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilio-ambasz/) > [That's what they do in Argentina. Have a little wine and talk. Then have some coffee and talk. Then, go back to the wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/that-s-what-they-do-in-argentina-have-a-little-wine-and-talk-then/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [I started playing pro in Argentina. Then I went to second division in Italy. Then after a lot of work, I made it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-ginobili/i-started-playing-pro-in-argentina-then-i-went-to-second-division-in/) [Manu Ginobili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-ginobili/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I want to concentrate on winning things with Barcelona and Argentina. Then if people want to say nice things about me when I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-messi/i-want-to-concentrate-on-winning-things-with-barcelona-and-argentina/) [Lionel Messi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-messi/) > [I like the Patagonia in Argentina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-gasol/i-like-the-patagonia-in-argentina/) [Marc Gasol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-gasol/) ## More by Pele > [“People argue between Pele or Maradona. Di Stéfano is the best, much more complete.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/people-argue-between-pele-or-maradona-di-st-fano-is-the-best-much/) [Pelé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [We're not great friends, but I admire him. If he thinks he's the best player of the century, that's his problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/we-re-not-great-friends-but-i-admire-him-if-he-thinks-he-s-the-best/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [I sometimes lie awake at night and wonder why I am still so popular and, to be honest, I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/i-sometimes-lie-awake-at-night-and-wonder-why-i-am-still-so-popular/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [When I was playing, they said soccer was a man's world and women should remain on the sidelines, all I can say is I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/when-i-was-playing-they-said-soccer-was-a-man-s-world-and-women/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [When football stars disappear, so do the teams, and that is a very curious phenomenon. It is like in the theatre, in a play,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/when-football-stars-disappear-so-do-the-teams-and-that-is-a-very/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [I treat everybody the same. You know I love to be with people: the youngsters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/i-treat-everybody-the-same-you-know-i-love-to-be-with-people-the/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/enthusiasm-is-everything-it-must-be-taut-and-vibrating-like-a-guitar/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [The bicycle kick is not easy to do. I scored 1,283 goals, and only two or three were bicycle kicks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/the-bicycle-kick-is-not-easy-to-do-i-scored-1-283-goals-and-only-two/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [Lionel Messi is a wonderful player. Very skillful. Highly intelligent. He is not good in the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/lionel-messi-is-a-wonderful-player-very-skillful-highly-intelligent/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [Everybody knows my life. I won a lot of tournaments and scored more than 1,000 goals, won three World Cups but I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/everybody-knows-my-life-i-won-a-lot-of-tournaments-and-scored-more/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [If I pass away one day, I am happy because I tried to do my best. My sport allowed me to do so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/if-i-pass-away-one-day-i-am-happy-because-i-tried-to-do-my-best-my/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [Sport is something that is very inspirational for young people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/sport-is-something-that-is-very-inspirational-for-young-people/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [Love is more important than what we can take...Please say with me three times-Love! Love! Love!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/love-is-more-important-than-what-we-can-take-please-say-with-me-three/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [Pele doesn't die. Pele will never die. 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