Pele: Brazil legend dies aged 82 after battle with cancer | Football News

Brazilian soccer legend Pele, one of the greatest players of all time, has died at the age of 82.

The former striker, who became the only player in history to win three World Cups, died at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo after a battle with cancer.

A message from Pele’s official Twitter account read: “Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who died peacefully today. Love, love and love, forever.”

Pele, who is Brazil’s top scorer with 77 goals in 92 games, became an icon of the game after winning the World Cup in 1958 as a 17-year-old, scoring twice in the final to beat hosts Sweden.

Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, from a poor family in Sao Paulo, won the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups with Brazil.

Injury limited his contribution to Brazil’s 1962 victory in Chile, but he was player of the tournament eight years later, as Brazil assembled one of the greatest teams of all time and lifted the Jules Rimet trophy in Mexico with a 4-1 win over Italy. where Pele scored the opening goal.

The goal made him one of only five players to have scored in two World Cup finals and, thanks to his exploits in 1958, he remains the youngest player to score at the tournament.

In total, Pele scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup appearances and also provided 10 assists – the most by any player in the history of the competition, and a reminder that he is much more than a goalscorer.`

However, it was his incredible scoring feats that made him a Santos legend at club level.

Pele holds the goalscoring record in his hometown and helped them to two Copa Libertadores titles and six Brazilian league crowns during his 18 years at the club.

Pele, who scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games for club and country during his career, ended his playing days with the New York Cosmos and retired from football in 1977.

After his retirement, Pele became a football ambassador. In 2013, he was awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur in recognition of his career and achievements. In 2020, he was named in the Ballon d’Or Dream Team, the greatest XI of all time.

Martin Tyler: ‘In the world of football Pele is immortal’

Sky Sports football commentator Martin Tyler said Pele deserves to be remembered as the best player to have played the game.

He said: “For me, he is the greatest player of all time. One of his early jobs outside of television was to set the English sound on VHS, like in those days, his Brazilian career and 1,000 goals.

“If I had any doubts about how good he is, the video proves it. It’s a privilege to do it and to pay tribute to someone who can do more than score goals.

“He will always be remembered for his ability to score amazing goals in terrible conditions on a bumpy pitch, when players have more license to use all means to stop him. He cannot be denied.

“Of course for me, he will be the greatest and in the world of football he is immortal.”

Sports pay tribute to Pele