- Brazilian football icon Pele is dead
- He had a long battle with long battle with kidney and prostate ailments
- He took his last breath on Thursday while in hospital
Brazilian football icon Pele is dead. He passed on at 82 after battling kidney and prostate ailments.
He took his last breath on Thursday while in the hospital. In September 2021, the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo performed surgery to remove a colon tumour found during routine examinations.
In the final days of November 2022, he was readmitted to the hospital. Kely Nascimento, his daughter, often posted updates on social media from the hospital to inform her followers of her father’s status.
She shared a photo of what appeared to be Pele’s family holding his body at a hospital on Thursday.
Nascimento captioned the photo, “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”
Pele in hospital. Photo by Marca
Pele passed away as a result of multiple organ failures. Doctors who treated him say that he suffered from advanced colon cancer. It affected his kidneys and prostate.
On Twitter, someone handling his account wrote that he was a man loved by many and inspiring generations to believe in themselves.
“Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever.”
Over the course of a 21-year career, he is credited with scoring a world-record 1,281 goals in 1,363 games, including 77 goals in 92 international games.
Pele was selected as Fifa’s Player of the Century in 2000. Pele is the only player to have won the World Cup three times, taking home the trophy in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele rose to fame when, at 17, he assisted Brazil in winning the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. He had forced his way into the starting lineup by the knockout rounds.
He scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Wales in the quarterfinals, three in a comeback victory over France in the semifinals, and two in a 5-2 victory over the hosts in the championship game.
Young Pele. Photo by Marca
At 15, Pele made his club debut for Santos, scoring in a 7-1 victory over Corinthians de Santo André. His first of 643 goals for the team in competitive play over a 19-year period.
Pele, then 21 years old, opened his team’s 1962 World Cup campaign with a magnificent individual goal in a 2-0 victory over Mexico. Still, he suffered an injury in the next game and had to watch as his team successfully defended their championship from the sidelines.
His most famous World Cup victory was a third of a trilogy. He was the focal point of a sensational attacking team that swept to the title in 1970, defeating Italy 4-1 in the final after being disqualified from the 1966 tournament in England.
Pele’s magical moments have transcended eras and defined the history of soccer, from his tears of joy on teammate Nilton Santos’ chest to his embrace with England captain Bobby Moore.
He concluded his club career playing for the New York Cosmos alongside legendary German player Franz Beckenbauer and fellow 1970 World Cup champion Carlos Alberto in a star-studded squad.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login