Brazil legend Pelé has died at the age of 82.
Brazilian soccer legend Pele has died after a long battle with cancer, his agent Joe Fraga has confirmed.
He has been hospitalized since November with many illnesses. His daughter Kely Nascimento wrote a tribute to her father on Instagram on Thursday: “Everything we are is because of you. We love you unconditionally. Rest in peace.”
The 82-year-old three-time World Cup winner, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also suffered from heart and kidney problems.
Pele had a colon tumor removed in September 2021. He was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo on November 29.
On Wednesday, the hospital said his colon cancer was showing “progression” and that he needed “more extensive care to treat kidney and heart failure.”
Considered by many to be the most talented footballer to ever play the game, Pele led Brazil to a treble of World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He remains Brazil’s top goalscorer with 77 goals in 92 games.
Following Argentina’s World Cup win in Qatar last week, Pele took to social media to post a picture of his team lifting the trophy and praised the performances of captain Lionel Messi, France’s rising star Kylian Mbappe and surprise semi-finalists Morocco.
“Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in a fascinating way,” he said. “What a gift it was to watch this spectacle of the future of our sport.”
Brazilian players and fans in Qatar also unfurled banners on and off the pitch with the football great’s likeness and wishes for his recovery.
