Santos Football Club has made the decision to retire the iconic number 10 shirt, famously worn by Brazilian legend Pele, until the club returns to a "dignified level". This comes after Santos suffered their first-ever relegation to the Brazilian Serie B in the club's 111-year history.

Santos honors Pele by retiring his shirt number

In a historic move, Santos Football Club has officially retired Pele's iconic number 10 shirt. The decision comes as a response to the club's recent relegation to the Brazilian Serie B.

A legendary career in the number 10 shirt

Pele, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, played for Santos between 1956 and 1974. During his time at the club, he scored an impressive 643 goals in 656 appearances.

A temporary retirement

Although Pele passed away in 2022 at the age of 82, Santos had never retired his shirt number. However, in light of the club's relegation, new club president Marcelo Teixeira announced that the number 10 shirt will not be worn until Santos returns to the top division, Serie A.

Teixeira stated, "Until Santos is back in Serie A, which is its standard, we will not play with the number 10 shirt."

A tribute to a legend

The Brazilian league this season paid tribute to Pele by having every match commemorate the legend in the 10th minute. Additionally, the league was named after Pele as a mark of respect for his contributions to Brazilian football.

Teixeira affirmed, "We will continue in this mission. We will be back in the top division, but until then, we won't wear our most glorious shirt."

Relegation woes and fan reactions

Santos' relegation was confirmed after a 2-1 home defeat to Fortaleza. This devastating blow was met with a dramatic reaction from fans, who took to the streets of São Paulo, Brazil, burning cars and buses in protest. Adding insult to injury, cross-city rivals Palmeiras won the title on the same day.