Football legend Pelé, whose real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, died at age 82. Though, Pelé had done all the cancer treatments possible and even underwent surgery to remove the tumour in 2021, the disease persisted and eventually deteriorated. Sadly, he knew what was coming and shared his final goodbyes to his family during this festive period.
The following statement was shared by his family when he passed.
Just weeks ago, he was supporting Brazil at the World Cup. He scored 77 goals scored for Brazil, Neymar just tied this record in Qatar. Unsurprisingly, more than 40 years after retiring, most of his records are still to be broken. A real trailblazer.
To date, Pelé is the only player in history to have won three world cups. He did so in 1958, 1962 and 1970. His achievements earned him the monicker of "O'Rei", which translates to "O'King". He goes down as one of the greatest to have ever played this game.
Pelé leaves behind seven children from three different relationships. No one will forget his impact on the game, his legacy will forever be remembered.
Rest in Power Pelé and thank you.