The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by John Doyle

Pelé is a terrific examination of the player, the man and his status in recent Brazilian history. It’s about his astonishing skill, his World Cup victories and defeats, and his celebrity. But at its core it’s about how Pele legitimized the dictatorship that governed Brazil during the later portion of his career.

The Irish Times by Tara Brady

Nicholas and Tryhorn’s new film for Netflix, though plenty laudatory, presents a contemplative Pelé that appears human after all.

The New York Times by Nicolas Rapold

I did yearn to see more of his talents in action; his header goal in that year’s Italy final feels cosmically liberating. But however conventional as a whole, the movie feels troubled by the traumas of Pelé’s heyday.

The Hollywood Reporter by Jordan Mintzer

As much as Pelé inspired love and awe among his fans, this polished and well-intentioned biography doesn’t quite do the same.

The Guardian by Andrew Pulver

This valedictory film allows sober recognition for all that he did.

RogerEbert.com by Carlos Aguilar

To see him wrestle with his own past, the pressure of a whole country’s dreams, and the relief of making them come true, is occasionally riveting, but it’s also what makes Pelé all the more a missed opportunity for a sharper portrait.