Pele, the legendary Brazilian footballer who ascended from barefoot economic hardship to become one of the biggest and most well-known athletes of all time, died on December 29, 2022, at the age of 82.
Pele had been receiving treatment on a regular basis since a tumour in his colon was removed in September 2021.
According to the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, Pele died at 3:27 p.m. UTC due to multiple organ failures resulting from the advancement of colon cancer affiliated with his previous medical condition.
The demise of the only player to win the FIFA World Cup three times was announced on his Instagram account. The post said, “Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today. enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.”
Tributes poured in from sports, politics, and pop culture for a man who embodied Brazil’s supremacy of the beautiful game.
President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration confirmed three days of mourning, stating, “Pele was a wonderful citizen and nationalist, increasing the name of Brazil wherever he went.”
On Monday, a 24-hour wake for Pele will be hosted in the centre of the field at Santos Stadium, his home town team where he began playing as a teenager and rapidly rose to prominence.
The following day, a procession carrying his coffin will pass through the streets of Santos, past the neighbourhood where his 100-year-old mother lives, and conclude at the Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony.
Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, signed for Santos in 1956 and transformed the small coastal club into one of the most recognisable names in football.
Among many accolades, Pele also won two Copa Libertadores, South America’s version of the Champions League, and two Intercontinental Cups, which is a yearly basis championship between the best teams from Europe and South America.
He took early retirement from Santos in 1974, but a year later made an unexpected comeback by signing a lucrative contract with the nascent North American Soccer League’s New York Cosmos.
He scored 1,281 to 1,283 goals in a marvellous 21-year career, depending on how games are recorded.
With his glamorous smile and humility, he endeared millions of fans. Pele was more well-known than many Hollywood celebrities, popes, or presidents – many, if not most, of whom he met throughout a six-decade career as a player or game’s advocate.