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Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot squalor to become one of the greatest and most recognisable athletes in modern history, passed away on Thursday at the age of 82, according to a post from his daughter on Instagram (December 29).
After a tumour was discovered on his colon, he spent the previous few months going in and out of the hospital.
Pele, real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, holds the record for most goals scored with 1,281 and is the only player to have won the World Cup three times.
In a seven-decade career as a player and soccer ambassador, he charmed popes, presidents, and Hollywood celebrities with his sublime skills and winning smile, making soccer the most popular sport in the world.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento was taught the game by his father, a semi-professional player whose promising career was derailed by a knee injury. Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born on October 23, 1940, in the small Minas Gerais town of Tres Coraçes, or “Three Hearts.”
His early years are shrouded in legend, including the beginning of his well-known moniker. According to Pele, he frequently served as the goalkeeper in neighbourhood games, which led to kids making comparisons between him and a nearby player by the name of “Bile” over time.
Pele had a history of health problems, including hip surgery that left him with chronic pain and difficulty walking unassisted. He made fewer public appearances, but he continued to use social media.
There are six known surviving children of Pele. A seventh, whose identity he had long since forgotten, passed away from cancer in 2006.
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