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Saddest Moment: The King Of Football, The Great Pele Passes Away R.I.P.
Thursday - Dec 29, 2022
Brazil: For Brazil, this is a death of a historic figure on a scale similar to that of Queen Elizabeth II in Britain. All the major news channels and web portals immediately switched to wall-to-wall – often white-on-black-headlined - coverage of his death and legacy. “Adeus, Pelé! Brazil bids farewell to the greatest footballer in history” noted a sombre yet celebratory lead story on the UOL site, which described him as not just a footballer but the most important icon in the country’s history.
“The death of Pelé: the King of Football” ran the headline of Brazil’s most popular news site, Globo, which foregrounded a gallery showing the football-loving child in a poor backwater rising to win three World Cups and standing shoulder to shoulder with Queen Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela.
Outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro was initially silent amid rumours about whether he will leave the country before the transfer of power on 1 January. Others quoted Neymar’s post: “Pelé changed everything. He transformed football into an art.” As usual, the legendary football writer Juca Kfouri put it best in a touching personal reminiscence for Folha: “Pelé kicked magnificently with both feet, headed with his eyes open, scored goals like no one else, made passes that surprised even his teammates, killed the ball on his chest as if he were cradling it like a baby in his arms.”
He is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country. The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele was named Fifa's Player of the Century in 2000.
He had been suffering with kidney and prostate problems in recent years. Pele had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon in September 2021 at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, after the tumour was detected in routine tests. He was readmitted to hospital in late November 2022.
His daughter Kely Nascimento has kept fans updated on her father's condition with regular social media updates from hospital. On Thursday she posted a picture of what appeared to be Pele's family's hands on his body in hospital and wrote: "Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace."
The hospital confirmed that Pele died "due to the failure of multiple organs, a result of the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous clinical condition". Pele's Twitter account posted: "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever."
The Brazilian Football Confederation said: "Pele was much more than the greatest sportsperson of all time. "Our king of football was the greatest exponent of a victorious Brazil, who was never afraid when faced with difficulty. He promised his father a World Cup and he presented us with three. "The King gave us a new Brazil and we are so thankful for his legacy. Thank you, Pele."
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, became a global star when, aged 17, he helped Brazil win the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, forcing his way into the starting line-up by the knockout stages. He scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Wales in the quarter-finals, a hat-trick against France in the semi-final and two in a 5-2 triumph over the hosts in the final.
Pele had made his debut for club side Santos two years earlier at the age of 15, scoring in a 7-1 win over Corinthians de Santo Andre. It was the first of 643 goals he would score for the club in official competitions over 19 years, although Santos claim the total is more than 1,000 once exhibition matches - often against high-profile European opposition - are taken into account.
The Brazilian Football Confederation and Santos say Pele scored 1,283 goals in 1,367 matches, while Fifa claims it was 1,281 goals in 1,366 games.
At the 1962 World Cup, Pele, then 21, scored a brilliant individual goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico to open their campaign, but was injured in the next match and watched from the sidelines as his team defended their title. The final part of his trilogy of World Cup wins was his most iconic. After being fouled out of the 1966 tournament in England, he was the fulcrum of a thrilling attacking team that swept to the title in 1970, scoring the opening goal in a 4-1 win over Italy in the final.
From his joyful tears on the chest of team-mate Nilton Santos to his embrace with England captain Bobby Moore, Pele's moments of magic have spanned eras and defined the history of the sport. He finished his club career as part of a star-studded New York Cosmos side, playing alongside German legend Franz Beckenbauer and fellow 1970 World Cup winner Carlos Alberto. "In music there is Beethoven and the rest. In football, there is Pele and the rest," he said in 2000.
In a poll conducted by BBC Sport in 2020, Pele was voted the greatest player, ahead of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff. The image of the shirtless Pele being carried aloft by team-mates and supporters after the World Cup was won in Mexico City in 1970 is seared on the memory, along with that famous picture of another shirtless embrace with England captain Bobby Moore (above), a gesture packed with mutual respect, after Brazil's 1-0 group game victory in Guadalajara.
His greatness can be measured by the simple fact that he could make football a spectacle of natural grace and beauty when he missed as much as when he scored. One of the game's first global personalities, Pele layered his brilliance across a career spanning from a teenager with Santos to a money-spinner at New York Cosmos.
Wherever football is played, the name of Pele will be synonymous with it.
Comments (7)
Celso Fernandes
Saturday - Dec 31, 2022
Pele's father, an amateur footballer had a footballer friend named Bile. At the age of 3 the young Nascimento used to pronounce his name as Pele. That's how he got the name, a style of giving nicknames, prevalent amongst us Goans too.
Luis Fernandes
Friday - Dec 30, 2022
May his soul rest in peace and may eternal rest grant unto him . Amen
Paulo Afonso
Friday - Dec 30, 2022
A graceful, skillful, decent, humble, ethical player. RIP Pele.
MdG
Friday - Dec 30, 2022
Greatest footballer ever and a great human being.
He came from an impoverished background, and worked as a servant as a child but rose through sheer hard work and God-given talent. Despite his success, he didn't lose his tokli, like mental Maradona or become a diva/arrogant popot like Christina Ronaldo.
Although even off the field he did hit a lot of shots and scored numerous goals, some of them even offside. Many of which he never knew about. RIP
He came from an impoverished background, and worked as a servant as a child but rose through sheer hard work and God-given talent. Despite his success, he didn't lose his tokli, like mental Maradona or become a diva/arrogant popot like Christina Ronaldo.
Although even off the field he did hit a lot of shots and scored numerous goals, some of them even offside. Many of which he never knew about. RIP
Mario
Friday - Dec 30, 2022
Most India newspapers are reporting more of road accident to third grade cricketer name pant. But this same papers never report why/how millions of Indian sleeping hungry without food due to criminals ruling India. RIP Greatest Footballer PELE
Aniceto Florindo
Friday - Dec 30, 2022
Adeus Sr. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, alias Pele. Você estará sempre em nossos corações pela mágica que fez com seus pés e seu amor pelo belo futebol.
Os jogadores de futebol agora pensam em si mesmos depois de vencer apenas um WC, mas você, tendo vencido 3 WCs, foi humilde o suficiente para não ser afetado por eles.
Os jogadores de futebol agora pensam em si mesmos depois de vencer apenas um WC, mas você, tendo vencido 3 WCs, foi humilde o suficiente para não ser afetado por eles.
Menino Fernandes
Thursday - Dec 29, 2022
It is really a heart breaking news that the greatest of all Football players passed away. Very very sad moment for the football world that its legend left this world. Winner of world cup three times and highest scorer of goals has left a memory that can never be erased from this world.