Pele, ‘The King of Football’, dies at age 82, tributes poured in
He is regarded as one of the most famous and well-liked football players in history. Pele competed in four World Cups, winning three of them.
KATHMANDU: Pele, the legendary Brazilian football player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, has died at the age of 82.
On Thursday, his daughter confirmed his death after a year-long battle with cancer.
Pele had a respiratory infection on Nov 29. Later it was discovered that he had cancer in the intestine. Edson Arantes do Nascimento is Pele’s full name.
Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital, where Pele was undergoing treatment, said he died at 3:27 pm (18:27 GMT) on Thursday “due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition.”
He is regarded as one of the most famous and well-liked football players in history. Pele competed in four World Cups, winning three of them.
He played in 1958, 1962, and 1970, scoring 12 goals in 14 games. In his professional career, he also scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games.
Pele was born on Oct 23, 1940, and died on Dec 29, 2022.
Pele’s name has been synonymous with soccer for over 60 years. He participated in four World Cups and is the only player in history to have won three of them, but his legacy extended far beyond his trophy haul and remarkable goal-scoring record.
“I was born to play football, just as Beethoven was born to compose music and Michelangelo was born to paint,” Pele famously declared.
Tributes to the soccer legend have poured in. Santos FC, Pele’s first club, responded to the news on Twitter with the words “eternal” next to an image of a crown.
Brazilian footballer Neymar said Pele “changed everything.” In a post on Instagram, he wrote: “He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to black people and especially: He gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King!” he added.
Portuguese star forward Cristiano Ronaldo sent his condolences to Brazil in a post on Instagram, saying “a mere “goodbye” to the eternal King Pele will never be enough to express the pain that currently engulfs the entire football world.”
Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain said of Pele’s death: “The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.”
The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.
RIP KING 💔👑… pic.twitter.com/F55PrcM2Ud— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) December 29, 2022
Former English soccer player Geoff Hurst wrote on Twitter of his memories of Pele, calling the late star “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 the pitch with him. RIP Pele and thank you.”
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 the pitch with him. RIP Pele and thank you. pic.twitter.com/oCpQlw7EIK
— Sir Geoff Hurst (@TheGeoffHurst) December 29, 2022
Brazil’s incoming President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took to Twitter to pay his respects to Pele, saying “few Brazilians took the name of our country as far as he did.”
“As different from Portuguese as the language was, foreigners from the four corners of the planet soon found a way to pronounce the magic word: ‘Pele,’” Lula added.
Eu tive o privilégio que os brasileiros mais jovens não tiveram: eu vi o Pelé jogar, ao vivo, no Pacaembu e Morumbi. Jogar, não. Eu vi o Pelé dar show. Porque quando pegava na bola ele sempre fazia algo especial, que muitas vezes acabava em gol.
📸: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/YQs3K119t9
— Lula (@LulaOficial) December 29, 2022
President of the United States Joe Biden said: “For a sport that brings the world together like no other, Pele’s rise from humble beginnings to soccer legend is a story of what is possible.”
For a sport that brings the world together like no other, Pelé’s rise from humble beginnings to soccer legend is a story of what is possible.
Today, Jill and I's thoughts are with his family and all those who loved him. pic.twitter.com/EkDDkqQgLo— President Biden (@POTUS) December 29, 2022
President of football’s world governing body Fifa Gianni Infantino said he was “heartbroken” on “a truly tragic day for football” and described Pele as “the athlete of the century”.
"For everyone who loves the beautiful game, this is the day we never wanted to come. The day we lost Pelé."
FIFA President Gianni Infantino pays tribute to Pelé:
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) December 29, 2022
Pele’s body will be diverted from Albert Einstein Hospital to the stadium at dawn on Monday. The coffin of the soccer legend will be placed in the center of the field.
The wake will be held at Vila Belmiro until Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time (8 a.m. ET), when a funeral procession will carry Pele’s coffin through the streets of Santos, including the street where Pelé’s 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, lives.
The procession will then proceed to Pele’s final resting place, the Memorial Necropole Ecumênica cemetery in Santos, where a private funeral for family members will take place.
