Brazil football legend, Pele, has died at the age of 82.
The former striker, who is the only player in history to win three World Cups, passed away at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil following a battle with cancer.
Pele, who is Brazil’s joint all-time top scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches, became an icon of the game after winning the World Cup in 1958 as a 17-year-old, netting twice in the final to defeat hosts Sweden.
Pele, a former Santos FC star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, had been at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo since November 29.
A medical report just before Christmas showed that he needed care for cardiac and renal dysfunction, having been battling colon cancer since September 2021.
His daughter, Kely Nascimento, paid tribute to her father on Instagram: “We are thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”
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Pele, originally named Edson Arantes do Nascimento, began playing for Santos at the age of 15 and the Brazilian national team a year later, bursting onto the world football scene as a 17-year-old in the 1958 World Cup.
During his international career, he won three World Cups – in 1958, 1962 and 1970 – the only player to achieve this.
His role in Brazil’s third victory, in Mexico in 1970, has gone down in football folklore, as he played a key role in arguably the sport’s greatest ever international team.
His glittering 20-year career from 1957 to 1977 saw him score 757 goals in 831 games, although Santos claim his tally was closer to 1,000.
He ended his playing days at New York Cosmos and retired from football in 1977.
After retiring, Pele acted as an ambassador for football.
In 2013, he was awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur in recognition of his career and achievements.
In 2020, he was named in the Ballon d’Or Dream Team, a greatest of all-time XI.
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