Footballing icon Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé has died in his country Brazil aged 82.
Pele had been at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo since 29 November. A medical report just before Christmas showed that he needed care for cardiac and renal dysfunction, having been battling colon cancer since September 2021.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Pele was survived by children, grand children and great grandchildren.
The Brazilian was named the International Olympic Committee’s Athlete of the Century in 1999 despite never having played at an Olympic games. He was also named him the Best Player of the 20th Century by FIFA.
The official Instagram handle of Pele broke the news:
“Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today. In his journey, Edson charmed everyone with his brilliance in sport, stopped a war, performed social work around the world, and spread what he most believed to be the cure to all our problems: love. Your message in life will become a legacy for generations to come. Love love and love forever.”
Honours
Brazil
- World Cup: 1958, 1962, 1970
- Rocca Cup: 1957, 1963
- Atlantic Cup: 1960
- Oswaldo Cruz Cup: 1958, 1962, 1968
- Bernardo O’Higgins Cup: 1959
Santos
- Paulista Championship: 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973
- Rio-São Paulo Tournament: 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966
- Brazilian Championship: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968
- Copa Libertadores: 1962, 1963
- Intercontinental Cup: 1962, 1963
- South American Supercup of Intercontinental Champions: 1968
- Intercontinental Cup Winners’ Cup: 1968
New York Cosmos
- American Football League: 1977
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