By Azuka Christopher
FRI. 30 DEC, 2022-theGBJournal| Pele, (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) the Brazilian football legend loved and reverved by all across the globe and the only player to lift the World Cup three times in 1958, 1962 and 1970 has died aged 82.
Hospital report confirmed Thursday that he died, after a long battle with kidney and prostate problems, due to failure of multiple organs, as a result of the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous clinical condition.
In September 2021, he had surgery to remove a tumor from his colon at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, after the tumor was detected in routine tests.
He was readmitted at the onset of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November 2022 and his daughter Kely Nascimento kept the world abreast with the legend’s condition regularly through social media update.
Pele is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 games during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 competitive matches for Brazil. And in 2000, he was named FIFA’s Palyer of the Century.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declared a three days of national mourning, and the Christ the Redeemer has been lit in Brazil’s colour as a tribute to the King of the beautiful game.
His body is expected to be moved on Monday morning from the hiospital to the Santos-his former club- Estadio Urbano Caldeira, where the coffin will be placed in the centre of the public to pay respects.
Further details of his funeral released by Santos, where he made his debut at the age of 15, includes a procession through the streets of Santos in Sao Paulo to a private family burial.
Pele became a global icon when, aged 17, he played his way into the 1958 Brazilian World Cup squad and went on to help his country to beat Sweden in the finals. He scored the winning goal in the victory against Wales in the quarter finals, an unforgettable hat-trick against France in the Semi-Final and two more goals in the in the 5-2 victory over the host Sweden in the finals.
”For everyone who loves the beautiful game, this is the day we never wanted to come. The day we we lost Pele,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said his tribute to the legend.
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