Pelé, the Brazilian long been considered the greatest footballer of all time, has died at the age of 82. The Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died Thursday.
Pelé had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021 and had been hospitalised since November with multiple ailments.
Pelé spent nearly two decades enthralling fans with mesmerising manoeuvres and stunning opponents with samba-like flair making him the game’s most prolific scorer.
He carried Brazil to soccer’s heights and became a global ambassador for his sport in a journey that began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in the hinterlands of Minas Gerais state on October 23, 1940, Pelé grew up polishing shoes to raise money for his modest soccer wears. The name Pelé came from him mispronouncing the name of a player called Bilé.
In the conversation about soccer’s greatest players, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside Pelé.
Pelé in a bright, yellow Brazil jersey, with the No. 10 stamped on the back, remains alive in the hearts of soccer fans everywhere.
Some fables had it that so famous was Pelé that in 1967 factions of a civil war in Nigeria ‘agreed to a brief ceasefire’ so he could play an exhibition match in the country.
Pelé was Brazil’s first modern Black national hero but rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to hail from the white minority.
Pelé’s life after soccer took many forms. He was a politician, Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport, a wealthy entrepreneur, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations. He played roles in movies, soap operas and even composed songs of popular Brazilian music.