Pele, the magical Brazilian soccer star who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known footballers in modern history, died at the age of 82, his daughter said on Instagram on Thursday.
The standard-bearer of “the beautiful game’’ had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021 and he had been hospitalized for the past month with multiple ailments.
Widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, Pele 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.
His grace, athleticism and mesmerizing moves transfixed players and fans. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style that revolutionized the sport — a samba-like flair that personified his country’s elegance on the field.
He carried Brazil to football’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.
In the conversation about football’s greatest players, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside Pele.
Pele, the magical Brazilian soccer star who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known footballers in modern history, died at the age of 82, his daughter said on Instagram on Thursday.
The standard-bearer of “the beautiful game’’ had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021 and he had been hospitalized for the past month with multiple ailments.
Widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, Pele 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
His grace, athleticism and mesmerizing moves transfixed players and fans. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style that revolutionized the sport — a samba-like flair that personified his country’s elegance on the field.
He carried Brazil to football’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.
In the conversation about football’s greatest players, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside Pele.
The Brazilian Football Federation posted a picture of Pele celebrating a goal, saying “RIP Pele” and adding three crown emojis.
Sir Geoff Hurst, the former England striker, also paid tribute, tweeting: “I have so many memories of Pele, without doubt the best footballer I ever played against (with Bobby Moore being the best footballer I ever played alongside).
“For me Pele remains the greatest of all time and I was proud to be on the pitch with him. RIP Pele and thank you.”
Arsenal and Tottenham are among the clubs to have posted their own tributes.
Arsenal said on Twitter: “We are truly saddened to hear the news of Pele’s passing. As a club, we had the privilege of hosting Pele in 1981, at Highbury. A memory we will always cherish. Our thoughts, along with the entire football community are with Pele’s loved ones today.”
Tottenham said on Twitter: “The Club is saddened to learn of the passing of one of football’s all-time greats, Pele. Our thoughts are with his family and our fans across Brazil at this sad time.”
Pele is survived by six known children. A seventh, whom he didn’t recognise as his own for years, died of cancer in 2006.
Pele’s Life and Times
Pele, whose given name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, scored a world record 1 281 goals, and is the only player ever to win the World Cup three times.- in 1958, 1962 and 1970 – and a committee of experts voted him as the FIFA ‘Player of the Century’ in 2000.
Pelé scored a record 77 goals in 92 international matches for Brazil and, while there is some debate among statisticians about his official career number, the Guinness Books of Records puts his tally in a 21-year senior career at 1,279 goals in 1,363 games.