Which city in São Paulo state did Pelé grow up in?

Pelé grew up in Bauru, a city in Brazil’s São Paulo state.

His family moved to Bauru when he was a young child, and the city became the setting for his formative football years. Pelé grew up in modest circumstances and sometimes improvised by playing with a grapefruit or a sock stuffed with newspaper because a proper football was difficult for the family to afford.

In Bauru, he played for several local youth and amateur sides, including Bauru Atlético Clube juniors. His performances there attracted the attention of former Brazil international Waldemar de Brito, who helped arrange Pelé’s move to Santos in 1956. Pelé was only 15 when he left Bauru to pursue a professional career.

Santos is a common mix-up because it became the club and city most closely associated with his career. However, Santos was where Pelé launched his professional career; Bauru was the São Paulo-state city where he grew up and developed as a young player.