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Pele: Birth of a Legend

Pele: Birth of a Legend

A boy with nothing who changed everything.

2016107 minPGMidcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Directors
Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist
Starring
Kevin de Paula, Leonardo Lima Carvalho, Seu Jorge, Milton Gonçalves

The life story of Brazilian football legend, Pele.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Pele: Birth of a Legend?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Pele: Birth of a Legend streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now via Prime Video and The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Pele: Birth of a Legend?

Pele: Birth of a Legend earns 8 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Family friendly.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Pele: Birth of a Legend worth watching?

Pele: Birth of a Legend's Midcredits score is the 82nd percentile of all films, from 55K ratings across 6 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

82nd percentile

Better received than 82% of films

71st percentile among Biography82nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)76th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

69 /100

76th percentile of all films

67th percentile among Biography75th percentile among 2010s

Critics 39 · Audience 71

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

75% liked it

85th percentile of all films

73rd percentile among Biography85th percentile among 2010s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

Critics 33% · Audience 69%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

94th percentile

55K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Biography94th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 36% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$7.2K
Domestic gross$57K
Worldwide gross$7.8M

64th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film follows a predictable underdog sports biopic formula and focuses on Pele's early life and cultural heritage.

Fans praised

  • heartfelt emotional journey and inspiration
  • celebration of Brazilian culture and ginga style
  • strong cinematography and A.R. Rahman's music

Detractors panned

  • cliché-ridden formulaic storytelling
  • inaccurate historical depiction and revisionism
  • English dialogue undermines authenticity

What stands out

Sound and music75

A.R. Rahman's score widely praised, enhances emotion

Cinematography70

vivid colors and beautiful shots, praised even by critics

ActingDivisive55

Seu Jorge and child actors praised; lead performance called colorless by some

Emotional impactDivisive55

tearjerker for many fans; detractors call it manipulative

Characters45

father character well-received; one-dimensional caricatures cited by detractors

Plot and storyDivisive35

heavily clichéd rags-to-riches arc with predictable beats

Dialogue30

contrived and unnatural dialogue, especially in English

Originality25

derivative sports biopic relying on every trope

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 10 points higher than men.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 18 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Pele: Birth of a Legend like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
HopefulTriumphantMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
WarmExuberant · 2% of films: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film treats Pelé's journey with reverence and inspirational fervor, presenting his rise as a triumph of spirit and cultural pride.
The rideThe film builds from childhood hardship and loss toward the emotional high of the World Cup final, with the most intense pressure concentrated in the final matches.
StructureThe film opens at the 1958 World Cup before flashing back to Pelé's childhood, forming a narrative frame.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer uplifted by Pelé's triumph and the restoration of national pride.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypePelé rises from a poor boy in the slums to become a world champion, with his childhood and the origins of his career at the center.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Identity · 14% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themePelé's journey is driven by a promise to his father and a search for his own style, ultimately finding purpose in representing Brazil and restoring the Ginga tradition.
StanceThe film unambiguously celebrates Pelé's purpose-driven rise and the reclaiming of Brazilian cultural identity through Ginga football.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanIn transitRealistic
Orchestral classicalFolkWorldForeground music · original score · A.R. Rahman
SettingBrazil, from the slums of Bauru to the World Cup stadiums in Sweden
MusicA.R. Rahman's score blends orchestral and Brazilian folk elements to underscore the emotional journey.

Content guide

Is Pele: Birth of a Legend okay for kids?

PG

Pele: Birth of a Legend is rated PG: “Rated PG for thematic elements, some smoking and language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (23/100), sexual content at minimal (4/100), language at minimal (14/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (27/100) and frightening material at mild (25/100). Overall it is heavier than 12% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • Germany6
  • FranceU
  • JapanG
  • Brazil10
  • GreeceΚ
  • Hong KongI
  • ItalyT
  • NetherlandsAL
  • Russia16+
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 3% of all filmsHeavier than 12% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 21%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 3%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 23%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 51%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 24%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is drug and alcohol content, heavier than 51% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Pele: Birth of a Legend have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Pele: Birth of a Legend?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Kevin de Paula
as Pele
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Leonardo Lima Carvalho
as Younger Pele
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Seu Jorge
as Dondinho
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Milton Gonçalves
as Waldemar de Brito
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Seth Michaels
as Mario Zagallo
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Vincent D'Onofrio
as Feola
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
André Mattos
as Santos club's coach
Mariana Nunes
as Celeste Arantes (Pele's Mother)
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Phil Miler
as Narrator
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Rafael Henriques
as Yuri (14 year old)
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

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What are movies like Pele: Birth of a Legend?

Movies like Pele: Birth of a Legend include Jungle Cry (2022), Baggio: The Divine Ponytail (2021) and Chasing Mavericks (2012). Of the 12 closest matches, most are biopics, and most are films that feel triumphant.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its story type: sports underdog. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Pele: Birth of a Legend?

569 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: origin story. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.