Pele, the Brazilian soccer king who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died on Thursday. He was 82.
The standard bearer of the “beautiful game” has been treated for colon cancer since 2021. He has been hospitalized for the past month for many diseases.
His agent Joe Fraga and his daughter, Kelly Nascimento, confirm his death.
Considered by many to be one of football’s greatest players, Pele has spent nearly two decades captivating fans and dazzled opponents as the all-time leading goalscorer. match against Brazilian club Santos and the Brazilian national team.
His grace, athleticism and mesmerizing moves left players and fans in awe. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style that revolutionized the sport — a samba-like flair that showcased his country’s elegance on the court.
He catapulted Brazil to the pinnacle of football and became a global ambassador for his sport in a journey that began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick in a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags. torn.
In the conversation about football’s greatest players, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and cristiano ronaldo mentioned with Pele.
Various sources, counting different series, list Pele’s total goals to range from 650 (league league matches) to 1,281 (all high-profile matches, some in league games). low level).
The so-called “King” player was introduced to the world at the age of 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the youngest player ever to attend the tournament.
He was carried off the field by his teammates after scoring twice in Brazil’s 5-2 win over the host country in the final.
Injuries kept him from playing two games as Brazil won the 1962 world championship, but Pele was a symbol of his country’s 1970 World Cup victory in Mexico.
He scored in the final and assisted Carlos Alberto with a nonchalant pass that scored the final goal in a 4-1 win over Italy.
The image of Pele in the bright yellow Brazil shirt with the number 10 printed on the back is still alive with football fans everywhere. As well as his signature goal celebration – a jump with his right fist raised overhead.
Pele’s reputation was so great that in 1967 factions in the Nigerian civil war agreed to a brief ceasefire so he could play a friendly match in the country.
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II of England in 1997. When he visited Washington to help popularize the game in North America, it was the US president who took the initiative.
“My name is Ronald Reagan, I am the president of the United States of America,” the host told his guest. “But you don’t have to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pele is.”
Pele is Brazil’s first modern black national hero but rarely speaks of racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to come from the white minority.
Rival fans mocked Pele with monkey chants at home and around the world.
Angelica Basthi, one of Pele’s biographers, said: “He said he would never play if he had to stop every time he heard those chants.
“He was the key to Black pride in Brazil, but never wanted to be a flag bearer.”
Pele’s post-football life takes many forms. He is a politician — Brazil’s Special Minister for Sports — a wealthy businessman, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations.
He has had roles in movies, TV plays and even composed songs and recorded popular Brazilian music CDs. As his health declined, his travels and appearances became less frequent. He was often seen in a wheelchair during the last years of his life and did not attend the inauguration of a statue of him representing Brazil at the 1970 World Cup.
Pele spent her 80th birthday in isolation with a few family members at a beach house.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, in the small town of Tres Coracoes in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais on October 23, 1940, Pele grew up wearing shiny shoes to buy his modest football equipment.
Pele’s talent caught the attention when he was 11 years old, and a local professional player brought him to Santos’ youth team. It didn’t take long for him to make it into the senior squad.
Despite his youth and 5-foot-8 frame, he scored against the grown men with the same ease he showed in front of his friends back home. He made his Brazilian club debut at the age of 16 in 1956, and the club quickly gained worldwide recognition.
The name Pele comes from the fact that he mispronounced the name of a player named Bile.
He arrived at the 1958 World Cup as a substitute but became a key player for his country’s winning team. His first goal, in which he dribbled the ball over a defender’s head and ran around him to catch a volley, was voted one of the best in World Cup history.
The 1966 World Cup in England – won against the hosts – was a bittersweet season for Pele, already considered the top player in the world at the time. Brazil were eliminated in the group stage and Pele, angry at the rough treatment, swore that this would be his last World Cup.
He changed his mind and rejuvenated in the 1970 World Cup. In a match against England, he headed home the winner, but brilliant goalkeeper Gordon Banks cleared the ball over the bar in one game. amazing move. Pele likened the save – one of the best in World Cup history – to “a trout climbing a waterfall”.
He then scored the opening goal in the final against Italy, his last World Cup match. In total, Pele played 114 matches with Brazil, scoring a record 95 goals, including 77 goals in official matches.
His time with Santos spanned more than three decades until he retired after the 1972 season.
Wealthy European clubs tried to sign him, but the Brazilian government intervened to keep him from being sold, declaring him a national treasure.
On the pitch, Pele’s energy, vision and imagination fueled a talented Brazilian national team with a fast, fluid style of play, typified by “O Jogo Bonito” — in Portuguese means “Beautiful Game”.”
His 1977 autobiography, “My Life and the Beautiful Game,” made the phrase part of football’s vocabulary. In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.
Despite being 34 years old and well past his prime, Pele has given football a higher profile in North America.
He led the Cosmos to the 1977 championship and scored 64 goals in three seasons.
Pele ended his career on October 1, 1977, in an exhibition between Cosmos and Santos in front of a crowd of about 77,000 people in New Jersey.
He played half of the match with each club.
Among the dignitaries present was perhaps the only other athlete famous around the world – Muhammad Ali.
Pele had to go through difficult times in his personal life, especially when his son Edinho was arrested on drug-related charges.
Pele has two illegitimate daughters and five children from his first two marriages, to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi and Assiria Seixas Lemos.
He later married businesswoman Marcia Cibele Aoki.
