Pelé, Brazilian football legend dies at 82

Brazil’s football legend Pele, one of the greatest players of all time, has died at the age of 82.

The former striker, who is the only player in history to win three World Cups, passed away at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo following a battle with cancer.

Pelé’s demise was announced on his social media handles with the caption “Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever.”.

Earlier this month Pelé was moved to end-of-life care after he stopped responding to chemotherapy. Pele had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021 and his most recent hospitalisations are part of “a reevaluation of the chemotherapeutic treatment of the tumor”, as described by the Albert Einstein hospital.

Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento had said on Instagram that there was “no surprise or emergency” regarding Pele’s condition.

“Lots of alarm in the media concerning my dad’s health,” Nascimento wrote. “There is no emergency or new dire prediction. I will be there for the New Year holiday and promise to post some pictures.”

Pele, who is Brazil’s joint all-time top scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches, became an icon of the game after winning the World Cup in 1958 as a 17-year-old, netting twice in the final to defeat hosts Sweden.

Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento was the only player in history to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970), and the Brazil national football team’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches.

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, he was admitted to the hospital for a “re-evaluation” of the chemotherapy treatments he had been receiving since surgery to remove a colon tumour in September 2021.

Messages of support poured in while he was in the hospital, including one from Kylian Mbappe, the French football sensation, who asked his supporters to “pray for the king.”

Pelé, the Brazilian player, was married three times and had a lot of children.

Biography

Pelé was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Coraçes, Brazil. On the football field, he mainly played as a forward or an offensive midfielder, and his right foot was his strongest. He was voted FIFA Co-Player of the Century in 1999 after winning three FIFA World Cups.

Pelé started his international career as a footballer at the age of 16 in 1957. He faced Argentina and was defeated 1-2 at the Maracana. At 16 years and 9 months, he became the youngest player in Brazil’s history to score in his debut.

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Pelé became the FIFA World Cup’s youngest winner at the age of 17. He holds two Guinness World Records: he is the only player to win the FIFA World Cup three times, and he also holds the record for most goals scored in a career. In 1363 games, he scored 1283 goals.

He played his final game in October 1977, a game between New York and Santos in which he played for both teams.

In 1995, Pelé was named Brazil’s Minister of Sports, a job he held until 1998. In addition, he was a global advocate for soccer and other humanitarian issues.

After retiring, Pelé became an advocate for football and sports in general. He was appointed a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment in 1992.

Pelé was also honoured with the International Peace Prize in 1978. The French sports publication L’Equipe named him Athlete of the Century in 1980, and the International Olympic Committee bestowed the same honour on him in 1999.

The Pelé Museum opened in Santos, Brazil, in 2014. Aside from his sports achievements, he also wrote many best-selling memoirs and starred in a number of successful documentaries and semi-documentaries. He likewise composed music, including the soundtrack for the 1977 film Pelé.

“For many, Pelé is the greatest footballer who ever lived,” according to a Marca report. “This is especially true for older generations who saw him and all the other football superstars who followed him.”