Pele, the Brazilian football icon who brought home the World Cup trophy three times, became an international superstar and the highest-paid team athlete in the world at the time, has passed away. He was 82 years old.
His death was announced on Thursday by his daughter, Kelly Nascimento. instagram,
Pele’s health was deteriorating as he was old. Doctors at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo said late december He was receiving “advanced care” related to “kidney and cardiac dysfunction” that stemmed from the cancer he had been fighting for more than a year. He also had a respiratory infection, and his family said he would be in hospital over the Christmas holiday.
“Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who passed away peacefully today,” a Statement Read on his organization’s website. “During his travels, Edson charmed the world with his brilliance in sports, stopped a war, did social work all over the world and spread what he believed to be the cure to all our problems: love. His message is a It’s become a legacy.” For generations to come. ,
(See Pele’s 2015 interview with CNBC Europe above.)
Born in Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, he was known almost exclusively as Pelé – a nickname he allegedly earned after mispronouncing another footballer’s name.
Pelé joined Brazil’s Santos Football Club in 1956 at the age of 15 as an inside forward. The club won the São Paulo league championship and both the Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup in 1962 and 1963.
The forward, who served as a second striker, made his international debut in 1957, just a year after joining Santos, and played in the World Cup the following year at the age of 17 – the youngest player ever. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against France and scored two goals in the championship game against Sweden, the hosts of the 1958 tournament.
The Brazilian who stunned everyone with his ability to rock the world stage and fire difficult shots into the net declared that Pele was a “national treasure”. A move to prevent him from being snapped up by richer European teams. Instead, Santos went on an international tour to give fans a chance to see the star.
In the next World Cup tournament in 1962, Pelé suffered a hamstring injury and had to sit out after the second match, but the Brazilian national team went on to win and win one title after another. In 1966, Brazil lost in the first round of the next World Cup after injuries to Pelé and others.
He considered retiring from the international game, but made a triumphant return in 1970 to win once more. Pelé ended his World Cup career with 12 goals in 14 games and remains the only footballer to have won the trophy three times.
Pelé retired from Santos in 1974 after scoring 643 goals in 659 games.
He was coaxed out of retirement a year later to join his other team, the New York Cosmos. At age 34, he signed a three-year deal worth $7 million to play for the US team, which The New York Times reported at the time made him the most sought-after player in the world. highest paid team athlete in the world. He ended up playing for the Cosmos for two years, helping them win the North American Soccer League trophy, and has been credited with increasing popularity in the sport in America.
His final match There was an exhibition match between Santos and Cosmos. He played the first half with the Cosmos and the second half with his favorite Santos. When time ran out, his teammates lifted an emotional Pele on their shoulders and carried him around the field.
Cosmos goalkeeper Shep Messing said, “Simply put, Pele made soccer cool.” espn 40 years since that last game. “Mick Jagger, Elton John, Robert Redford at games. Muhammad Ali, he was on the field for that last game, and at the time, the two most recognizable people on the planet were the two of them.”
Pele scored over 1,000 goals during his career, earning a Guinness World Record.
He used his platform after football to support charitable causes and try to improve the lives of Brazil’s poor. He became UNESCO’s Global Ambassador in 1994 and served as Minister of Sports in Brazil. He also published several autobiographies that became bestsellers and starred in documentary films about his life.
He and Argentine star Diego Maradona, who was younger than Pelé and played after his retirement, are often discussed as the greatest players of all time – even being jointly named “Player of the Century” by FIFA in 2000. “was designated. Despite the competition, the two became friends in 2020 before Maradona died.
Maradona said in a friendly exhibition match in 2016, “I want to thank Pele. We know who he is and who he will always be. We need an icon like him.”
FIFA eventually named Pelé the “Greatest of All Time” in 2012, and the International Olympic Committee named him “Athlete of the Century” in 1999.
Following the announcement of his death on Thursday, tributes poured in from across the football world.
santos Tweeted In reference to his nickname “O Ri” or “The King”.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo praised ‘The King’ on social media also.
Ronaldo said, “A mere ‘goodbye’ to the eternal King Pele will not be enough to express the pain that the entire football world is embracing at the moment.” “An inspiration to so many millions, a reference yesterday, today and forever. The love you always showed me was reciprocated in every moment, even shared from a distance Went. We football lovers.”
France ahead kilian mbappeThe “legacy will never be forgotten” of Pele, who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final in Qatar earlier this month.
and former English footballer Geoff Hurst Said, “I have a lot of memories of Pele, without doubt the best footballer I have ever played with. … For me Pele is an all-time great and I was proud to be on the pitch with him. RIP Pele.”