Athletes & Sports Icons · Head-to-head
Pelé vs Wilma Rudolph
Yes — based on their recorded years, Pelé (1940–2022) and Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994) were alive at the same time for at least part of their lives.
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Pelé
A Brazilian footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Key achievements
- Scored a Guinness World Record 1,279 goals across his playing career
- Was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999
- Won multiple FIFA World Cup titles with the Brazilian national team
- Was named a joint FIFA Player of the Century alongside Diego Maradona
Fast fact
Pelé was one of two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award, alongside Diego Maradona.
Full profile of Pelé →Wilma Rudolph
An American sprinter who overcame childhood polio to become a triple Olympic gold medalist.
Key achievements
- Won three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Rome Olympics
- Became the first American woman to achieve three gold medals in a single Olympic Games
- Overcame childhood polio to become a world-record-holding sprinter
- Was acclaimed internationally as the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s
Fast fact
Rudolph was acclaimed as the fastest woman in the world during the 1960s.
Full profile of Wilma Rudolph →Who lived first, Pelé or Wilma Rudolph?
Pelé (1940–2022) lived first, before Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994), based on their recorded years.
Were Pelé and Wilma Rudolph contemporaries?
Yes — based on their recorded years, Pelé (1940–2022) and Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994) were alive at the same time for at least part of their lives.
What do Pelé and Wilma Rudolph have in common?
Both Pelé and Wilma Rudolph are grouped among our Athletes & Sports Icons figures and lived during the Modern Era.