Pele, the magical Brazilian soccer star who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died at the age of 82, his daughter said on Instagram on Thursday.
He had been in and out of hospital in recent months after a tumor was found on his colon, reported Reuters.
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.
With sublime skills and a winning smile, he helped make soccer the world’s most popular sport and he charmed popes, presidents and Hollywood stars in a seven-decade career as player and ambassador for the sport.
Born on Oct. 23, 1940, in the small Minas Gerais town of Tres Corações, or “Three Hearts”, Edson Arantes do Nascimento learned the game from his father, a semi-professional player whose promising career was derailed by a knee injury.
Pele’s death sparked a wave of condolences from around the world, with the government of Brazil declaring three days of mourning for the late star, reported The Wire.
Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posted an extended tribute to Pele on Twitter, writing how he felt privileged to have seen the late star in action.
“There was never a Number 10 like him,” Lula wrote, referencing the number Pele wore while playing for Brazil’s national team.
Brazilian football superstar Neymar Jr. wrote that “Pele changed everything,” giving a voice to the poor, to Black people and giving visibility to Brazil.Brazil’s CBF football federation said Pele “gave us a new Brazil and we can only thank him for his legacy.”
”Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo posted a tribute on his Instagram page, offering his condolences to the people of Brazil, saying the death of “King Pele” has sent great “pain” throughout the football world.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, team captain of the recently crowned World Cup champions, paid tribute to the star in a post on Instagram.
Kylian Mbappe, who helped lead team France to the most recent World Cup final in Qatar against Argentina, offered his condolences in a post on Twitter.“The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten,” Mbappe wrote.
