Football Legend Pelé, the 'black pearl' Passes Away At 82 Born and raised in the poverty of Sao Paulo, Pelé rose to great heights in the history of modern sports. He is survived by six children
By Paromita Gupta •
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On Thursday, the world grieved at the passing of Brazilian footballing genius Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally loved and recognized as Pelé at the age of 82. The athlete is one of the most commemorated and celebrated in the football and sporting world. He had been suffering from health issues since late 2017 and the cause of his demise is said to be multiple organ failures due to complications related to his colon cancer. Pelé was operated on a tumor in his right section of colon in September 2021 and was undergoing chemotherapy. He is survived by six children.
A inspiração e o amor marcaram a jornada de Rei Pelé, que faleceu no dia de hoje.
— Pelé (@Pele) December 29, 2022
Amor, amor e amor, para sempre.
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Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today.
Love, love and love, forever. pic.twitter.com/CP9syIdL3i
Born and raised in the poverty of Sao Paulo, Pelé rose to great heights in the history of modern sports. Displaying a sheer range of talent and skills, he debuted for the Brazil national football team as a part of the 11 member team to battle for the title in the FIFA World Cup 1958 at a tender age of 17. He scored the country's only match winning goal against Wales in the quarterfinal, a hat-trick against France in the semifinal, and two against Sweden in the final, making way for Brazil's first title then. His performance led to him being hailed as O Rei, The King by the general public.
One of the most decorated players, he went on to win three FIFA World Cup titles (1958, 1962 and 1970) and remains the only player to do so in history. Lauded for his two-footed play, rapid pace, and high stamina, he was Brazil's star No10 forward. He scored a dazzling 757 goals in 831 official games in a career spanning from 1957 to 1977.
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), in its official issue, mourned the loss of the legend and shared "(After the 1970 title) From that moment on, the country's football was divided into two eras: pre- and post-Pelé. Brazilians spent the following decades debating who was their next best player. Opinion is divided on whether Garrincha, Rivellino, Zico, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or Neymar is the second-best Brazilian footballer of all time, but Pelé will always be considered the greatest."
Several prominent figures and active players took to social media to share their condolences and mourn the 'black pearl'.
Former President of the United States Barack Obama tweeted "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."
Shoe design and manufacturer Adidas shared "take four letters and make them immortal, take a game and change it forever. obrigado, Rei. obrigado, Pelé."
Upcoming and promising Manchester City forward Erling Haaland tweeted "Everything you see any player doing, Pelé did it first. RIP."
Brazilian superstar Neymar shared a heart-touching post dedicated to his senior: "Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. I've read this phase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say before Pelé football was just a sport. Pelé has changed it all. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, to the blacks, and especially: He gave visibility to Brazil. Soccer and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He's gone but his magic remains. Pelé is FOREVER." on Instagram.
Pelé's departure has left a void forever in the lives of fans and players. After all, you do not see every day that a 1969 Nigerian civil war called for a 48-hour ceasefire between the government and the secessionist State of Biafra only so the public could watch Pelé create magic for Santos against the Nigerian Super Eagles in a football match.
