Pele

The world bids farewell to one of the greatest footballers ever seen. pele. Pelé retired after playing 1,363 games, winning 37 titles, scoring 1,281 goals, ...

It was in 1970, at the first World Cup broadcasted in colour, that Pelé put the cherry on top of his football legacy. He celebrated the goal in his typical manner: Jumping and punching the air. In 1969, he had become the first player to score 1,000 goals. “I told myself before the game that Pelé is made of skin and bones just like everyone else. In recent years, Pelé struggled with his health. Upon returning to Brazil, he helped Santos build a dynasty, winning 25 titles in the 1960s. Pelé had a certain way of speaking Portuguese, something he would turn into a trademark. He would share a guest house with other players and cycle around the city. When Pelé was 15, a local coach, Waldemar de Brito, took him to play for the football club Santos. Pelé was from a city called Três Corações, which translates to Three Hearts. He grew up in poverty and his parents could not even afford a football. This is a man who is known more all over the world than Coca Cola.

Brazilian football icon Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time and a three-time World Cup winner who masterminded the...

He was often welcomed like royalty when traveling abroad with Santos or the national team. Pele dazzled from the age of 15, when he started playing professionally with Santos. Pele declined offers to play in Europe, but signed for a brief, lucrative swan song with the New York Cosmos at the end of his career, bringing his star power to the land of “soccer.” 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.” “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely.

Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) — Pelé, the Brazilian soccer legend who won three World Cups and became the sport's first global icon, has died at the age of 82.

Pelé, the Brazilian king of soccer who became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died Thursday. He was 82.

He changed his mind and was rejuvenated in the 1970 World Cup. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 league title and scored 64 goals in three seasons. 1, 1977, in an exhibition between the Cosmos and Santos before a crowd in New Jersey of some 77,000. Pelé likened the save — one of the best in World Cup history — to a “salmon climbing up a waterfall.” Later, he scored the opening goal in the final against Italy, his last World Cup match. He went to the 1958 World Cup as a reserve but became a key player for his country’s championship team. Brazil was knocked out in the group stage and Pelé, angry at the rough treatment, swore it was his last World Cup. He scored in the final and set up Carlos Alberto with a nonchalant pass for the last goal in a 4-1 victory over Italy. When he visited Washington to help popularize the game in North America, it was the U.S. Despite his youth and 5-foot-8 frame, he scored against grown men with the same ease he displayed against friends back home. Pelé’s fame was such that in 1967 factions of a civil war in Nigeria agreed to a brief cease-fire so he could play an exhibition match in the country. “He is key for Black people’s pride in Brazil, but never wanted to be a flagbearer.” He was carried off the field on teammates’ shoulders after scoring two goals in Brazil’s 5-2 victory over the host country in the final.

One of history's greatest players helped his country win three World Cups in 21-year career.

For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Compare Standard and Premium Digital For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital,

Pelé, the Brazilian football legend, who many regard as the greatest player of all time, has died in hospital in Sao Paulo at the age of 82.

He scored a world record 1,281 goals, playing in 1,363 games during his professional career, which began when he was just 15. We are deeply saddened by the passing of Pelé. At the time, the Secretary-General of the Summit, Maurice Strong, described him as not only the greatest footballer in the world, but “a universal man”, rooted in Brazil. He was also appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the crucial UN Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992, one of the first major global development and environment summits devoted to a more sustainable future for all. He devoted considerable time in retirement to supporting the UN and its work, both as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Children’s Fund [UNESCO](https://en.unesco.org/), tweeted that it was “deeply saddened” at his passing, and extended condolences to the Brazilian people, and the wider “football family”.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Who is saying what after Brazilian football legend Pele died on Thursday at the age of 82: “Before Pele, '10' was just a number.

Rest in peace, King Pele.” “I have so many memories of Pele, without doubt the best footballer I ever played against (with Bobby Moore being the best footballer I ever played alongside). “Football has lost the greatest player in its history. Football will always belong to you!” “Pele was one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game. Like all legends, the King seemed immortal.”

Pelé was one of the world's best soccer players who was the sport's global face for decades. The Brazilian legend was a wizard on the field who dazzled fans ...

It was like his strength was at the service of the beauty of the game." But even as he championed the idea of soccer as a unifier, Pele's life intertwined with racial and political divides at home. On the day Pelé retired, he reiterated his positive message to a packed stadium, asking fans to repeat the word "love" with him three times. Even so, Black Brazilian civil rights leaders would later criticize Pelé for ignoring their calls to denounce racism in the country, Basthi said: "He bet on an earlier narrative" that his success disproved there were racial barriers. He was also a playmaker and one of the early pioneers of the bicycle kick, a leap upward at an airborne ball to rocket it backward. He is an honorary knight of the British Empire and served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and Brazil's Minister of Sports, where he oversaw new legislation on labor rights for athletes. At the gym at Santos, he added judo and karate to workouts. "People would buy the newspaper to see what they were saying" and pack stadiums to see what would happen next. "I think we related to Pelé because of his creativity." At the time, Brazil's economy was booming, and the team's exuberance became a symbol of the country itself. "He walks on the field with one of those irresistible and fatal authorities. He rose from humble beginnings in rural Brazil to eternalize a powerful and creative style of play.

SAO PAULO: Brazilian football icon Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time and a three-time World Cup winner who masterminded the ...

He was often welcomed like royalty when traveling abroad with Santos or the national team. Pele dazzled from the age of 15, when he started playing professionally with Santos. Pele declined offers to play in Europe, but signed for a brief, lucrative swan song with the New York Cosmos at the end of his career, bringing his star power to the land of "soccer." 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." We love you infinitely. Rest in peace," daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram.

Pele, widely considered the greatest football player of all time, 'enchanted the world with his genius in sport'

Brazil’s CBF soccer federation said “Pele was much more than the greatest sportsman of all time … “And also off the field, he was a cool person, not an arrogant athlete.” “God gave me this ability for one reason: To make people happy,” he said during a 2013 interview with Reuters. As a player, souvenir-seeking fans often rushed the field following games and tore off his shorts, socks and even underwear. He also had difficulty walking unaided since an unsuccessful hip operation in 2012. “The game.

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Brazilian football icon Pele, a three-time World Cup winner who transformed the “beautiful game” and is widely regarded as the ...

He was often welcomed like royalty when traveling abroad with Santos or the national team. 29, at the age of 82. He was hospitalized several times for urinary infections, then again in 2021 and 2022 for the colon cancer that marked the beginning of the end. His reign extended beyond the pitch, with gigs as a movie star, singer and later sports minister (1995-1998) — he was one of the first black cabinet members in Brazil. Pele declined offers to play in Europe, but signed for a brief, lucrative swan song with the New York Cosmos at the end of his career, bringing his star power to the land of “soccer.” Pele reached the pinnacle of his greatness at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the first broadcast in color, where he starred on what many consider the greatest team of all time, with talents such as Rivellino, Tostao and Jairzinho.

In this file photo taken on October 31, 1990 former Brazilian soccer star, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé (L), waves prior a friendly soccer match ...

Named as one of the "100 Most Important People of the 20th Century" by Time Magazine? The picture of Pele that was thumbtacked on that bulletin board was one where he was firing that bicycle kick that he made famous. Decades before the invention of the internet, the news of that game spread via word of mouth. The first sports star to sell that many kits and merchandise. The footage shown on television was grainy but it helped spread the gospel of Pele and football. He was the world’s first global sports star as a result of his exploits in the FIFA World Cup of which he won three — 1958, 1962, and 1970.

Pele is hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates after Brazil won the World Cup final. Pelé in 1970, when he became the only man to win three World Cups.Credit ...

He had already done everything there was to do: He had scored a thousand goals; he had broken countless records; he had decorated the game with endless moments of wonder. He had retained the World Cup in 1962 but been injured for the tournament’s decisive matches. It was enough to make opponents relish facing him and to draw fans, thousands upon thousands of them, to his games, meaningless or not. It was, by the standards of those who can breathe in the rarefied air of a World Cup final, a pass that was easy. A far better gauge of Pelé’s legacy would be not those bald, raw numbers but something far less tangible: the scope and the extent of his fame. To do so, though, strips away process for raw output; it reduces an athlete who defined not only a whole class of player — before Pelé, as Neymar said, “10 was just a number” — but an entire soccer culture to nothing but a productive goal scorer. He had already racked up more than a thousand games, condemned to partake in an endless parade of exhibitions as his club, Santos, sought to monetize his fame and pay his salary. Before that, for the vast majority of fans — especially outside Brazil — Pelé had only existed in black-and-white footage. As the journalist Andrew Downie has observed, it is noteworthy how many of the most lasting images of Pelé come from that World Cup. And yet, other than perhaps his poise and arguably his vision, the pass does not display any of the traits that made Pelé Pelé. Then he plays the pass, almost with a shrug, gently guiding the ball to the exact spot where Carlos Alberto requires it to be so that he can meet it, at full speed, without breaking stride. It was not a pass that he made look easy.

Pele was a footballing legend the world over, but for people in Brazil he was so much more.

Again, many felt that was a weak position given his huge influence - and of course the turbulent politics that he lived through - including a dictatorship. Pele was also known to keep his head down when it came to politics. In fact, president Janio Quadros in 1961 even declared him a national treasure, which meant for years he couldn't be "exported" to play for clubs abroad, such was his hero status and importance for national pride. In a country where racism and classism are still so dominant, Pele, a black footballer from a poor background, was an incredible success story. When news eventually came of his passing, it was still a big moment. This is a moment that Brazilians had been expecting for some time but also dreading.

Sao Paulo – Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern ...

Brazil soccer great Pele died on Thursday aged 82 after a long battle with cancer. Following are reactions to his death from around the world:

A sad day for the world of football, for the world of sport. Today the world of football cries for the loss of O Rei. Our thoughts are with the people of Brazil and the world football family. We extend our condolences to the Brazilian people and the football family. My deepest condolences to all of Brazil, and in particular to the family of Mr. He made football the beautiful game and truly international. A mere "goodbye" to the eternal King Pele will never be enough to express the pain that embraces the whole world of football at this moment. The King of Kings has died. As I could experience myself, he was a true believer in the Olympic values and a proud carrier of the Olympic flame. Pele was one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game. One of the greatest footballers in history has left us. And as one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together.

'Before Pele, football was just a sport. Pele changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment,' says Brazil forward Neymar.

A sad day for the world of football, for the world of sport. A message of solidarity to his family and all the people of Brazil who loved him so much. Our thoughts are with the people of Brazil and the world football family. As a child I watched Pele at the World Cup on a black and white screen. Today the world of football cries for the loss of O Rei. We extend our condolences to the Brazilian people and the football family. My deepest condolences to all of Brazil, and in particular to the family of Mr. A mere “goodbye” to the eternal King Pele will never be enough to express the pain that embraces the whole world of football at this moment. As I could experience myself, he was a true believer in the Olympic values and a proud carrier of the Olympic flame. Pele was one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game. “He was a true believer in the Olympic values,” said Bach. “The King gave us a new Brazil and we can only thank him for his legacy.”

News organisations across the planet hailed the legendary Brazilian, who died Thursday at the age of 82 and was widely considered the greatest footballer to ...

In the far less football-mad United States, the New York Times called Pele the “global face of soccer” who “helped popularise the sport” stateside with his 1975-1977 stint with the New York Cosmos. The Argentine sport daily Ole wrote: “Beyond the rivalry that exists between Argentina and Brazil, no one can doubt that Pele was one of the greatest footballers in history, for many the best, on top of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi”. In Argentina — home of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, both also contenders for the title of greatest of all time — the Clarin remembered Pele as “a supreme symbol of football’s spectacle” and a “great among the greats”.

ANKARA – Brazilian football legend Pele has passed away at age 82, his daughter Kely Nascimento announced on Thursday.Seen as the greatest player of all ...

Connection is secure Checking if the site connection is secure Occasionally, you may see this page while the site ensures that the connection is secure.

Born into poverty -- he used to kick a grapefruit around Brazil's Minas Gerais state -- Pelé finished his career as arguably soccer's greatest ever player.

Clearly, a footballer needs to make a living from the game. “There isn’t that love of playing for my club, playing for my country. [Diego Maradona](http://www.cnn.com/2018/06/11/football/world-cup-argentina-england-1986-diego-maradona/index.html)? It was a surprise for us,” Pelé told CNN in 2016. The greatest team to never win the World Cup? He gave a voice to the poor, to Black people and especially. Or is it And I was ready to celebrate. Exactly where I wanted it to go. “When we arrived in Sweden, no one knew what Brazil was. He gave visibility to Brazil.” From dazzling as a 17-year-old in 1958 on his way to his first World Cup success to claiming the Golden Ball award as player of the 1970 World Cup as he won a third global title, “O Rei” (“The King”) achieved almost everything possible in the famous yellow and blue of Brazil.

(UPDATED) SAO PAULO: Brazilian football icon Pele, a three-time World Cup winner who is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, died on Thursday ...

Emotional Brazilians also descended on the hospital where Pele died — even running 1.5 kilometers (almost a mile) to get there, in the case of Antonio Perera, 46, and his son Luis Eduardo, 12. A wake will take place on Monday, followed by a funeral on Tuesday in Santos, the southeastern city where he played most of his career, his former club said. (UPDATED) SAO PAULO: Brazilian football icon Pele, a three-time World Cup winner who is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, died on Thursday at the age of 82 — triggering a wave of tributes from the sports world and beyond.

Football fans were united in mourning on Thursday after the death of Pele at the age of 82, with tributes pouring in for the Brazil great who defined his ...

“He was a true believer in the Olympic values,” said Bach. “The King gave us a new Brazil and we can only thank him for his legacy.” Rio’s “Christ the Redeemer” statue was lit up in green and yellow in tribute. “Where once there had been baseball diamonds, now there were also soccer pitches.” I saw Pele give a show,” said Lula, the president-elect of Brazil. Former Brazil striker Ronaldo wrote: “The world mourns.

The Brazilian played football barefoot as a child and rose to become a virtuoso universally regarded as one of the best.

Born in Tres Coracoes, in the state of Minas Gerais, in 1940, Pele grew up in poverty. He was just 17. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who came to be known as Pele and one of the greatest and most popular footballers in the world,

Brazil on Friday mourned the death of one of its brightest stars, soccer legend Pele, who died at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer for just over a ...

"I'll never forget him, the Brazilian king of soccer," said 67-year-old Antonio da Paz. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story [died](/lifestyle/sports/brazilian-soccer-legend-pele-dies-82-his-daughter-says-2022-12-29/) at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer for just over a year.

The Brazilian football legend is the only three-time FIFA World Cup winner and became a global football icon, with many of the top names in global sport ...

[pic.twitter.com/1MS3DPxPDF] [December 29, 2022] [pic.twitter.com/ovlL3rA4h5] [December 29, 2022] My time playing alongside him in Escape to Victory was a dream come true. [pic.twitter.com/F55PrcM2Ud] [December 29, 2022] [pic.twitter.com/oCpQlw7EIK] [December 29, 2022] I have so many memories of Pele, without doubt the best footballer I ever played against (with Bobby Moore being the best footballer I ever played alongside).

Brazil begins first day of mourning the late footballing legend as landmarks are lit up in tribute.

He regularly faced monkey chants on the pitch and was called several racist nicknames. Lots of parallels have been drawn between Pelé and royalty - he was the closest Brazil had. But really, Brazilians will mourn for much longer. The front pages in Brazil were all talking about Pelé on Friday. He turned football into art, into entertainment. Pelé had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer since 2021.

Pelé's body will lie at midfield at the Estádio Urbano Caldeira, known popularly as Vila Belmiro, in Santos, Brazil, for 24 hours, from Monday morning to ...

Roger Federer was the Pelé of tennis. “Muhammad Ali was the Pelé of boxing. Michael Phelps was the Pelé of swimming. “His profile as a global icon of sporting excellence and high athletic achievement was an inspirational model which encouraged young men to transcend their limitations and defy all economic, social, cultural and political barriers.” Three times he lifted the most coveted gold trophy in that beautiful yellow shirt.” He lives on in our memories, in the memories of our grandparents.” “He turned football into art, into entertainment, he gave a voice to the poor, to Black people and, above all, he gave visibility to Brazil. “He played a game only a few chosen ones have come close to. Brazil is in mourning; the whole world is in mourning.” The stadium, in the state of São Paulo, is home to Santos F.C., the club where Pelé spent nearly his entire career. “And I was enchanted from that moment. I confess I had a lot of anger issues regarding Pelé, because he always slaughtered my Corinthians.

The world mourned Friday after learning football icon Pele had passed away. The news hit close to home for Brazil's United Cup team, including Thiago ...

"Pele is the biggest idol we have not only in sports, but in general. “Today unfortunately is a very sad day in Brazil, all over the world. He has a big legacy, maybe the best one in the sport for us. Also he did everything with such energy and such passion that I just try to keep this to myself and tried to follow this path the way he did,” Monteiro said. He played with his heart, he showed love to everybody, so that’s what Team Brazil is going to do not only today but for the rest of the tournament and the rest of the year. Stefani added: “We played today to honour him and to celebrate him because that’s what he did.

The sporting world expressed its sorrow at the death of one of its greatest heroes on Friday, bidding farewell to Brazilian soccer legend Pele with a flood ...

"Pele was our biggest idol in sports. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story The Premier League, EFL and A-League said they would pay tribute to the soccer great through a minute's applause before games.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declared three days of national mourning for Pele after the legendary footballer died at the age of 82.

Pele was named by FIFA as the greatest player of the 20th century. “On the occasion of all the friendly matches scheduled for today, Friday, December 30, and on the 16th day of the Serie A on Wednesday, January 4, the FIGC has arranged a minute’s silence to remember Pele,” it said in a statement. [‘Forever a legend’: World pays tribute to Brazilian star Pele](/news/2022/12/29/forever-a-legend-world-pays-tribute-to-brazilian-star-pele) [Skills, charisma, mysticism: The life of football legend Pele](/sports/2022/12/29/skills-charisma-mysticism-the-life-of-football-legend-pele) [Pele, Brazilian football ‘phenomenon’, leaves unparalleled legacy](/news/2022/12/29/brazilian-football-icon-pele-leaves-an-unparalleled-legacy)

NPR's A Martinez speaks with soccer writer Andrew Downie about legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento — known around the world as Pelé.

They realized how great he was, how brilliant he was and how important he was for the country. But there was a lot of questions about whether he stood up for Black Brazilians, you know, enough during the racism that he suffered in the - particularly in the '60s and '70s. There was a lot of questions about whether he should have done more to stand up to the military dictatorship in the 1960s and '70s. A lot of people argue today that football is much harder now and that Pele could not do what he did today. MARTÍNEZ: You know, Andrew, the conversation of who's the greatest of all time - it's such a subjective thing - right? And - but people have taken it with a kind of naturalness because they knew that it was about to come. He was the only guy, along with Ali, who was recognizable in the whole world. And the last month, his family have been posting pictures and, I think, preparing people for the worst because they knew that he was not getting much better. He was also a - he took a small-time club, Santos, to the top of the world. Andrew, in his own words, I mean, Pele said that when he started, he just wanted to be as good as his dad, who was also a soccer player in Brazil. MARTÍNEZ: He's often called the greatest of all time and is the only player to lead their country to three World Cup titles, the first when he was just 17 in 1958. when he joined the New York Cosmos in 1975.

Player widely regarded as greatest to ever play the game died at the age of 82 after a battle with cancer.

For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Compare Standard and Premium Digital For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital,

Pelé won his first World Cup only 70 years after slavery was finally abolished in Brazil.

He regularly faced monkey chants on the pitch and had several racist nicknames. The buzz and frenzy during match days could be felt across the city. Traffic would be slower, restaurants busier, and the streets much louder. Pelé was and always will be a household name. A lot. But that does not matter.