Pele, the only player in history to win three World Cups, went today at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo after a battle with cancer; he rose to prominence in the sport after defeating the host nation of Sweden in the 1958 World Cup final with two goals.
Pele, a football superstar from Brazil and one of the all-time great players, passed away at the age of 82.After a battle with cancer, the former striker—the first player in history to win three World Cups—died at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo.
With 77 goals in 92 games, Pele is one of Brazil's all-time leading scorers. He rose to fame after Brazil won the 1958 World Cup as a 17-year-old, defeating hosts Sweden with two goals in the final.
Pele's official Twitter account said the following on Thursday: "King Pelé's journey was characterised by inspiration and love, and he passed away quietly today. Love always and forever."
Kely Nascimento, Pele's daughter, who has posted updates from the hospital on her father's condition, stated on Instagram: "We owe all we have to you. You have our undying love. Peace be with you."
The Brazilian government has proclaimed three days of national mourning for Pele.Pele, who was raised in poverty in Sao Paulo as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, helped Brazil win the World Cups in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
Injury limited his participation in Brazil's victory in 1962 in Chile, but eight years later, when Brazil constructed one of the best teams ever and won the Jules Rimet trophy in Mexico thanks to a 4-1 victory against Italy in which Pele scored the opening goal, he was named player of the tournament.
He is now one of just five players to have scored in two World Cup finals, and owing to his heroics in 1958, he continues to hold the record for the youngest player to have scored at the competition.
The most by any player in the history of the World Cup, Pele's combined 12 goals in 14 games and 10 assists serve as a reminder that he was much more than just a striker.But it was his incredible scoring performances that cemented his status as a club icon for Santos.
Pele's career in numbers
- Won three World Cup titles with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970 - the only player to have won the showpiece tournament three times.
- Became the youngest player to win the World Cup trophy at 17, a record that still stands.
- Scored 757 goals in 812 official matches for club and country, a record that stood for decades until Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo eclipsed his tally.
- Brazil's football association (CBF) and Santos say Pele scored a total of 1,283 goals in 1,367 matches while FIFA puts the figure at 1,281 goals in 1,366 games. Other sources give varying figures depending on the types of games included.
- Netted 77 goals in 92 official matches for Brazil - the country's all-time leading goalscorer, alongside Neymar who netted his 77th goal in the 2022 World Cup.
- Scored 12 goals in World Cups.
- Registered six assists at Mexico 1970 - a record for one World Cup.
- Scored 92 hat-tricks across official and unofficial games.
- Scored 127 goals for Santos in 1959, thought to be the most goals scored by a club player in one calendar year.
- Finished as Santos' top scorer with 643 goals in 659 competitive matches.
- Won Brazil's Serie A six times with Santos (1961-1965 and 1968).
- Led Santos to two Copa Libertadores titles (1962 and 1963).
You must be logged in to post a comment.