Football icon Pele has lost his battle with cancer.
The Brazilian star’s family confirmed he died on Friday (AEDT) aged 82.
“Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who died peacefully today,” read a statement.
“On his journey, Edson charmed the world with his athletic genius, stopped a war, carried out social works around the world, and spread what he believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.
“His message today becomes a legacy for future generations. Love, love and love, forever.”
Relatives had gathered at a hospital in Sao Paulo, where he had been suffering from worsening cancer, as well as kidney and heart problems, for several days before his death.
His daughter Kely Nascimento posted a photo at 6am (AEDT) on Friday showing the family placing their hands on the patriarch in his final moments.
“Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,” Kely wrote.
Named athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999, Pelé is the only footballer in history to have won three World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Nicknamed “O Rei” (The King), he scored more than 1,000 goals in one of the sport’s greatest careers, before retiring in 1977.
He had been in increasingly frail health, battling kidney problems and colon cancer, undergoing surgery for the latter in September 2021, followed by chemotherapy.
Pele’s son Edinho, who was recently appointed coach of Serie B soccer club Londrina, based in Paraná, in the north, had arrived on Christmas Eve at the medical center, where he joined his sisters Flavia and Kelly.
He posted a photo on Instagram of himself holding the soccer star’s hand, captioning it: “Dad…my strength is yours.”
Kelly added other heartbreaking photos of her hugging her father in his hospital bed.
“Here we are, in the fight and in the faith. One more night together,” she captioned.
Born on October 23, 1940, in the southeastern town of Tres Coracoes, Edson Arantes do Nascimento — Pele’s real name — grew up selling peanuts on the street to help his impoverished family get by.
His parents named him after the famous American inventor Thomas Edison. But he was soon nicknamed Pele, a mispronunciation of Bile, the name of a goalkeeper at Vasco de Sao Lourenco, where his footballer father once played.
Pele dazzled from the age of 15, when he started playing professionally with Santos. He led the club to a flurry of titles, including back-to-back Intercontinental Cups against Benfica in 1962 and AC Milan in 1963.
Known for his genius with the ball, he epitomized the sublime style of play called ‘samba football’ in Brazil, where he was declared a ‘national treasure’.
He scored a historic record of 1281 goals in 1363 games with Santos (1956-74), the Brazilian national team and the New York Cosmos (1975-77).
But beyond his records, he will be remembered for revolutionizing the sport, his ubiquitous number 10 on his back.
Tributes began pouring in from the world’s biggest clubs and players.
“Barça expresses its pain to learn of the death of “King” Pelé, one of the best footballers of all time,” tweeted FC Barcelona. “He made football bigger than ever. May he rest in peace.”
“A legend, icon and true great of the game who will be remembered forever. Rest in peace Pele,” Liverpool FC tweeted.
“We are very sad to learn that football legend Pelé has died. We send our sincerest condolences to his friends and family. Rest in peace, O King,” added AC Milan.
“The king of football has left us, but his legacy will never be forgotten,” wrote Kylian Mbappe.
Cristiano Ronaldo posted a photo of himself next to Pelé writing: “My deepest condolences to all of Brazil, and in particular to the family of Edson Arantes do Nascimento. A simple ‘goodbye’ to the eternal King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that the entire football world is currently embracing. He will never be forgotten and his memory will live on forever in each and every football lover. Rest in peace King Pele.”
England striker-turned-pundit Gary Lineker tweeted: “Pele is dead. The most divine of footballers and the happiest of men. He played a game that only a select few have come close to. He lifted the golden trophy 3 times most coveted in that beautiful yellow shirt. He may have left us, but he will always have footballing immortality. RIP Pele.”
Sir Geoff Hurst added: “I have so many memories of Pele, without a doubt the best footballer I ever played against (with Bobby Moore being the best footballer I ever played with). To me Pelé remains the best of all times and was proud to be on the field with him. RIP Pele and thank you.”
The world’s first soccer star, Pele played a leading role in transforming the game into a sporting and commercial powerhouse, taking advantage of his supernatural athleticism despite his relatively small size: 170cm.
He also played with heart, visible in the iconic black-and-white footage of the 17-year-old phenom breaking down in tears after helping Brazil to their first World Cup title in 1958.
Eight years earlier, watching his father cry when Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup final at home to Uruguay, he had vowed to bring the trophy home one day.
Pelé reached the peak of his greatness at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the first broadcast in color, where he starred in what many consider the greatest team of all time, with talents such as Rivellino, Tostao and Jairzinho.
He was often treated like royalty when traveling abroad with Santos or the national team. Legend has it that in 1969 his arrival in Nigeria was the occasion for a 48-hour truce in the bloody Biafra war.
Pelé turned down offers to play in Europe, but signed for a brief and lucrative swan song with the Cosmos at the end of his career, bringing his star power to the land of “soccer”.
His reign extended beyond the pitch, with performances as a film star, singer and then sports minister (1995-1998), one of Brazil’s first black cabinet members.
But he sometimes faced criticism in Brazil for remaining silent on social issues and racism, and for what some saw as his haughty and vain personality.
Unlike Argentine rebel Diego Maradona, his rival for the title of greatest player of all time, Pelé was seen as close to those in power, including Brazil’s 1964-1985 military regime.
Pelé’s public appearances had become increasingly rare, and he often used a walker or wheelchair.
He was hospitalized several times for urinary infections, then again in 2021 and 2022 for colon cancer that marked the beginning of the end.
But he faced his health problems with characteristic humor.
“I will face this game with a smile on my face,” he posted on Instagram in September 2021, after surgery to remove his colon tumor.
He was deeply moved when Maradona, his long-time friend and rival, died of a heart attack in 2020 at the age of 60.
“The world has lost a legend,” he wrote. “One day, I hope, we’ll play football together in heaven.”
– with the AFP