Football Legend Pelé Dead At 82, Tributes Pour In

One of the greatest players in Football’s history, Pelé, died on Thursday after a long battle with cancer. Known for his phenomenal rise from abject poverty to becoming the best footballer in his generation, the Brazilian scored 1,281 goals in his career.

Pelé is the only player ever to win the Football World Cup three times. He had been in and out of hospital in the past few months due to colon cancer. 

The Brazilian is widely-acclaimed as the first great player to have brought flair and magic to the football pitch.

As Pelé’s daughter posted the solemn news of the demise, tributes started pouring in. 

FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe tweeted: “The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.”

Meanwhile, World Cup winner and arguably the best footballer ever, Lionel Messi paid a tribute on Instagram through a post with the caption: “Descansa En Paz, Pelé (Rest in peace, Pelé).”

Erstwhile US President Barack Obama tweeted his condolences too. “Pelé was one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game. And as one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together. Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who loved and admired him,” he tweeted.

Along with Diego Maradona, Pelé was considered to be the best to ever play the sport before the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Pelé was born on 23 October 1940 in a small town of Minas Gerais, Brazil. His father was a semi-professional football player whose career came to a stop due to a knee injury.

The legend is survived by his six children.