Brazilian football legend and one of the greatest players of the beautiful game Pelé has passed away. He was 82.
Hospitalised for the last three months with multiple ailments, including colon cancer, Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, breathed his last on Thursday. His agent Joe Fraga confirmed his death to AP news agency.
A medical report just before Christmas showed that he needed care for cardiac and renal dysfunction.
“Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,” his daughter, Kely Nascimento, wrote on Instagram.
In his glittering 20-year career from 1957 to 1977, Pele scored 757 goals in 831 games. During his international career, he won three World Cups — in 1958, 1962 and 1970 —and was the only player to achieve this feat.
Pelé, who debuted at the age of 17, spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team.
Pele’s style of football, which was the perfect mix of athleticism and mesmerizing moves, encapsulated the audience for the past 20 years and gave nightmares to his opponents. His samba-like flair and fluid style eventually became the symbol of the country’s dominance on the field.
During Brazil’s world-dominating side of 1970, Pele was teammates with legends like Nilton Santos, Didi, Garrincha, and Jairzinho—all of whom were among the best players of the time.
Pele was born on October 23, 1940, in Tres Coracoes, Brazil. The Brazilian football giant, who was given the title ‘The Greatest’ by FIFA, had been married thrice. He had a total of seven children.
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