Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to the world as Pelé, last played professionally more than 20 years ago. But for untold numbers of fans, the Brazilian remains the greatest player in the history of the world's most popular game. "Those of us lucky enough to see him play," the Uruguayan essayist Eduardo Galeano wrote, "received offerings of rare beauty, moments so worthy ... that we can believe immortality exists." On November 19, 1969, Pelé scored his 1,000th goal—the first man to do so. To commemorate that mark's 40th anniversary, "The King" recently looked back at his storied career, sharing memories and insights with LIFE.com. Pictured: Pelé evades a tackle during the 1966 World Cup in England. NOTE: See a version of this gallery in Spanish, or in Portuguese.