Brazil World Cup Winner And Football Legend Pelé Dies Aged 82 – Pelé, the Brazilian virtuoso whose mesmerizing skill and athleticism made him universally acknowledged as one of football’s greatest players, has died at the age of 82. Pelé, who underwent removal of a colon tumor in 2021, was readmitted to the Albert Einstein hospital in So Paulo in November due to deteriorating health. A hospital statement released on Thursday confirmed the passing of “our dear King of Football” at 3.27 p.m. local time, “due to the failure of multiple organs, a result of the progression of cancer of colon associated with his previous clinical condition.”
A statement posted on Pelé’s official Instagram page continued: “Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today. On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love. His message today becomes a legacy for future generations. Love, love and love, forever.”
People Also Read: Argentine Football Association Partners With Upland to Enter the Metaverse
After reports he was receiving end-of-life care, Pelé said he felt “strong, with a lot of hope” in a social media post on 3 December. A further statement from the hospital on 21 December reported that Pelé “requires further care related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions” after the “progression” of his colon cancer. Social media posts from his daughter Kely Nascimento showed that family members had gathered at the hospital to spend Christmas with him.
Brazil’s joint all-time leading scorer won three World Cups as a player, in 1958, 1962, and 1970, during a 14-year international career in which he scored 77 goals in 92 games. Pelé, also known as “the Black Pearl” and “the King,” was one of only three players to score in all four World Cups. In 1,363 games, he scored 1,281 goals, at the time of his retirement in 1977 more than twice as many as his nearest challenger.
It was the 1970 World Cup triumph for which he will be best celebrated, the linchpin of a beguiling team that included Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho, Gérson, Tostão and Rivelino that swept through Mexico, his canary yellow No 10 shirt becoming an icon of the sport. World Soccer described Brazil’s 1970 winners as “more than a team,” adding: “The Brazilian side that won the 1970 World Cup in such style have become a myth, a team to be held up as the ultimate exponents of the beautiful game.” Pelé was their figurehead and inspiration.
The Brazilian government declared three days of mourning, the arch at Wembley Stadium was lit in Brazilian colors, and sports and political icons paid their respects to the man who rose from childhood poverty to become a legend. Pelé, who was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, began his professional career at the age of 15 and made his international debut the following year. In 1999, Ballon d’Or winners voted him player of the century, and Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
When the ill-fated New York Cosmos sought a marquee name to launch a soccer assault on the United States in the 1970s, Pelé was one of the few footballers recognized by the American public. Pelé had previously undergone surgery in November 2012, undergoing a hip replacement at a time when he was struggling to adjust to life on the road, and had since endured a urinary tract infection following kidney surgery for the removal of stones.
People Also Read: Fifa Investigating How Chef Salt Bae Got on to World Cup Final Pitch
In recent years, Pelé had reduced his personal appearances, including in February 2020, when he did not attend a ceremony to unveil a statue of him commemorating the 1970 World Cup-winning team due to mobility issues that required him to use walkers and wheelchairs in public. João Saldanha, the coach who helped shape that 1970 side, once said: “Ask me who is the best right-back in Brazil, and I’ll say Pelé. Ask me about the best left-back or midfield man, or the best centre-forward. Always I must say Pelé. If he wants to be goalkeeper, he will be. There is only one Pelé.”
Brazil’s president-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said: “I had the privilege that younger Brazilians didn’t have: I saw Pele play, live, at Pacaembu and Morumbi. Play, no – I saw Pele give a show.” “Because when he got the ball he always did something special, which often ended up in a goal.” Former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff wrote: “Thank you for the joy you gave the Brazilian people and the people of the world. No one has been a king so loved.”
