Pelé, Brazilian soccer legend who won three World Cups, dies at 82
Pelé, Brazilian soccer legend and record-holding winner of three World Cups, has died. He was 82.
Joe Fraga, the agent for the footballer, confirmed his death to the Associated Press. Pelé died Thursday as a result of multiple organ failure from complications from colon cancer. Pele was first diagnosed with the disease in September 2021. Since then, he has been receiving treatment.
Considered one of soccer’s greatest players, Pelé helped to popularize the game, particularly in the United States, during his banner years in the 1960s and 70s. He was the only ever soccer player to have participated in four World Cups, and to win three of them (in 1962, 1970, and 1972).
He is known for his athleticism and grace. His style was often compared to the Brazilian samba. Dubbed “the King,” Pelé is one of the few sports figures held in near-universal reverence for his accomplishments and contributions to the sport.
“Instead of 15 minutes of fame, he will have 15 centuries,” the artist Andy Warhol once said of Pelé, referencing his own quip about fame.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Soccer legend Pelé
Pelé made his debut on the world stage when he was only 17 years old, playing at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the youngest player ever at the tournament. He scored two goals against Sweden in Brazil’s decisive win 5-2 and was carried off the pitch on the shoulders of his teammates.
His greatest victory was in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. He scored in the final, and set up his partner with a pass to secure their 4-1 win over Italy.
Pelé was so renowned that he provoked a 48-hour ceasefire in the 1967 Nigerian Civil War so that both sides of the conflict could watch him play when he visited the African country. In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II made him a knight.
Visiting Washington D.C. in the 1980s, Pelé prompted the President to say, “My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the President of the United States of America. But you don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is.”
After his legendary run on Brazil’s National team, he was recruited to the New York Cosmos in North American Soccer League 1975.
Pelé was also a prominent media figure, channeling his athletic success into movie roles. Pele was perhaps most famous for his role in 1981’s Escape to VictoryThe movie “The Greatest Soccer Match Ever” was made during World War II. It featured a soccer match between Allied prisoners-of-war and a German side. He was also a star Michael Caine And Slyvester Stallone.
He also appeared in a 1969 Telenovela. Os EstranhosThe story is about making first contact with aliens. He was also a star in HotshotA 1987 movie about a US soccer player who seeks out his advice. 2001’s satirical Mike Bassett, England Manager featured a Pelé cameo.
He was also the subject in documentaries, including 2016’s. Pelé: Birth of a LegendBrian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment produced a documentary called “The Story of My Childhood”, which shows his childhood. The 2021 Netflix documentary was his most recent release. Pelé Consider his life from 1958 to 1970 as he evolved from a young soccer superstar to a national hero.
A talented musician himself, he also composed music including the soundtrack to 1977’s. PeléHe also produced albums of Brazilian pop music. He also wrote many autobiographies, including one in 1977. My Life and the Beautiful Game It was this phrase that helped soccer be known as “The Beautiful Game”.
After playing professional soccer, he was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He was named the Extraordinary Minister to Sport of Brazil in 1995. He proposed legislation to reduce corruption in Brazilian soccer during his tenure in that position.
His rewards and honors were many, including being named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999 and earning a spot on the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century.
Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in Tres Coracoes, Brazil on Oct. 23, 1940. He was born into relative poverty and grew up wearing shining shoes and kicking balls of rags to buy soccer gear.
At just 16 years old, he began playing for Brazil’s national team. He was also a member of Santos FC in Brazil, an international professional soccer team. In his first year with the team, he became the league’s top scorer. He was a Santos player for three decades, ending in semi-retirement at age 72.
The Brazilian government declared him an “official treasure” in 1961 to stop him being transferred to Europe.
Despite being past his prime, Pelé helped increase soccer’s profile in North America when he joined the Cosmos in 1975. Pele led the Cosmos to their 1977 league title. On Oct. 1, 1977, he played his last match in an exhibition match between Santos & Cosmos. Half of the game was played with each team.
Pelé is survived by seven children, including five from his first two marriages, to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi and Assiria Seixas Lemos. He married Marcia Cibele Aoki, a businesswoman, in 2016. They remained together until his passing.
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