Pelé won 3 world cups for his country and is considered the greatest player in the history of soccer.
Pelé, a 3-time world champion and soccer legend from Brazil, dies at the age of 82, leaving a legacy of achievements that no other player has ever achieved.
His death was confirmed by Kely, Pele’s daughter, on social media. She wrote,
“All that we are is thanks to you,” she wrote. “We will love you forever.” “Rest in peace.”
After learning of the death of the Brazilian football star, Brazil has declared 48 hours of national mourning. Pelé, whose full name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, will be buried in Santos, where he played for the city’s club for 19 years.
According to the Associated Press, the public will be able to pay their respects to the soccer legend Vila Belmiro Stadium.
Santos informed that the coffin carrying the legend Pelé will leave the Albert Einstein hospital early Monday morning and will be placed in the center of the field, and the public can pay their last respects to the star starting at 10 a.m. until the next morning.
Pele was diagnosed with colon cancer and had been in and out of the hospital over the past year. In November, Sao Paolo-based Albert Hospital announced that his colon cancer had advanced.
His death was confirmed by the hospital at 3:27 local time from multiple organ failure as a result of colon cancer.
He was hospitalized in December after undergoing chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer. He posted on social media that he was recovering.
Over the past year, Pelé has allayed concerns about his health and continued to thank his fans for their love and support.
In a November 2021 post on Instagram, he wrote, “Dear friends, it’s been a while since we talked about this.” I want to let you know that I’m fine. I feel better every day. I don’t think even the mask for my protection can hide my happiness. “Thank you very much to all of you who send me good energy daily.”
Pelé was also named the FIFA Co-Player of the Century for 1999 alongside another football legend, Diego Maradona of Argentina. After retirement, Pele devoted his life to humanitarian causes. When Maradona died in 2020, Peleé wrote, “One day, I hope we can play football together in the sky.”
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, said in a statement, “Pelé had a magnetic presence, and, when you were with him, the rest of the world stopped.” His life is about more than football. “He changed perceptions for the better in Brazil, in South America, and across the world.”
Pelé was born in the small town of Tres Coracoes in the southern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on October 23, 1940. As his parents were very much influenced by US inventor Thomas Edison, Pele’s father,
Pelé was born in the small town of Tres Coracoes in the southern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on October 23, 1940. As his parents were very much influenced by US inventor Thomas Edison, Pele’s father, João Ramos do Nascimento, named his son after Edison.
Pelé explained in a 2016 column for The Players’ Tribune, that he received the nickname Pelé in school when schoolmates mocked his pronunciation of the popular Brazilian goalkeeper Bilé.
At age 13, he joined a youth squad in Bauru and started playing. At the age of 15, Santos saw him, and he started playing for the team professionally.
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With his astonishing performance during Brazil’s 1958 World Cup victory, he became a celebrity at the young age of 17, and he spent his whole career playing for Santos in Brazil. In 636 matches with Santos, he scored 618 goals and won six Brazilian league titles.
In 1962 and 1970, Pelé added two more World Cup victories to his name. Along with teammate Vava, he is one of just two players to have scored in two World Cup finals for winning sides. He is the only player to have won three World Cups overall.
In his 92 international games, he scored 77 goals. Just a few weeks before Pelé’s passing, Brazilian striker Neymar tied his country’s record during the 2022 World Cup by scoring his 77th goal against Croatia.
Neymar wrote on social media, “I would say before Pelé, football was just a sport.” Pelé has changed it all,”.”He turned football into art, into entertainment.” Gave voice to the poor, blacks and mostly gave visibility to Brazil…”He’s gone, but his magic remains.”
Connection with the United States
His storied career with the New York Cosmos ended in 1977, creating a stir in American soccer that had never been seen before. Steven Ross, a pioneering TV businessman, funded the team and used his money to sign players like German defender Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, and Pelé. Apart from Santos, The Cosmos was the only club Pelé played for.
Pelé played his last game on Oct. 1, 1977, when the game was played between the Cosmos and Santos at Giants Stadium before a sellout crowd.
“Pelé’s name will forever be synonymous with sporting artistry and genius,” the Cosmos said in a statement. “His lasting impact on the sport of soccer is inestimable.” “Rest in peace, O Rei.”
Later, he appeared in John Huston’s 1981 World War II sports movie “Escape to Victory” with Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine.
In 2016, a biopic about his life “Pele: Birth of a Legend,” was also released.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo wrote, “A mere “goodbye” to the eternal King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that the entire football world is currently embracing.” an inspiration to so many millions, a reference yesterday, and today, and forever. The love you always showed me was reciprocated in every moment we shared, even from a distance. “He will never be forgotten, and his memory will live forever in each and every one of us football lovers.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is also the only player to score in more World Cups than Pelé.
During the 1970s, Pelé is also largely credited for sparking interest in the game of soccer in the united states among the youth
President Joe Biden tweeted on Thursday, “For a sport that brings the world together like no other, Pelé’s rise from humble beginnings to soccer legend is a story of what is possible.” “Today, Jill and I’s thoughts are with his family and all those who loved him.”
He is survived by his wife Marcia Aoki, as well as seven children.