World football legend, the Brazilian Pele (full names Edson Arantes do Nascimento) has died, aged 82.
He is considered the greatest footballer ever, leading Brazil to an unprecedented three World Cup wins for a single player. Brazil also holds the world record of most World Cup victories – five in all.
Pele’s daughter, Kely Nascimento, confirmed news of her father’s death on her instagram page today.
“Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,” she wrote.
Pele battled with colon cancer, leading up to a surgery to remove a tumour in September 2021.
He went back to hospital last month November for cancer treatment reevaluation.
Doctors at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo said he contracted a respiratory infection. They subsequently moved him to palliative care when his body no longer responded to chemotherapy treatment.
Pele started playing for Brazil national team at age 16 and appeared at his first World Cup a year later.
The 17 year-old prodigy netted six goals in four games to help Brazil lift the World Cup for the first time in 1958.
Brazil subdued Sweden 5-2 in the final game, with Pele accounting for two of the strikes.
He took his teammates to a second and a third World Cup victories in 1962 and 1970.
Brazil’s defeated Italy, its 1970 final match opponent 4-1 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico.
It was at this event that he etched his name as the greatest footballer, winning the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament.
Over a playing span of 20 years (1957 – 1977) Pele beat goalkeepers 757 times in 831 matches.
“I sometimes feel as though football was invented for this magical player,” said Bobby Charlton, another football great.
Sir Bobby was part of the England side that Pele’s team beat 1-0 in the group stage of the tournament.