Brazilian football legend Pele has died following a long battle with cancer, his agent Joe Fraga confirmed.
He had been hospitalised since November with multiple ailments. On Thursday, his daughter Kely Nascimento wrote a tribute to her father on Instagram: “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”
The 82-year-old three-time World Cup winner, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was also suffering from heart and kidney problems.
Pele had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021. He was admitted to the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo on November 29.
On Wednesday, the hospital said his colon cancer was showing “progression” and he needed “more extensive care to treat kidney and heart failure”.
Pele, seen by many as the most talented footballer to ever play the game, led Brazil to a trio of World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He remains Brazil’s leading goal scorer, with 77 goals in 92 games.
Following Argentina’s World Cup win last week in Qatar, Pele posted a picture on social media of their team lifting the trophy and hailed performances from captain Lionel Messi, France’s rising star Kylian Mbappe and surprise semifinalists Morocco.
“Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way,” he said. “What a gift it was to watch this spectacle of the future of our sport.”
Brazil players and fans in Qatar also unfurled banners on and off the pitch with an image of the football great and wishes for his recovery.
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SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Yes Pele was an adept football player who delved into the quintessence of the game.
He came into the lime light just after Sir Stanley Matthew’s, the only football Knight in the world.
As a football mathematician of all time, he played an exhibition match with the Accra Hearts FC in Ghana at the Accra Sports stadium in the mid 60’s.
He gave a shot from the edge of the center circle into the Hearts of Oak goal post but when the ball couldn’t enter the net he challenged the accuracy of the goal post. After the historic match officials inspected the post and realized the inaccuracy of the goal post.
Such is a football Genuice,
Oh whence cometh another!!!