[Curiosities] Brazilian Football Legend Pele Dies at Age 82

[BirSaNN]

Reports of Pele’s deteriorating health persisted throughout the 2022 World Cup.

Rabat - Pele, the Brazilian football legend regarded to be one of the sport’s greatest ever figures, passed away at age 82 on Thursday, after being hospitalized for the last month.

Joe Fraga, his agent, confirmed the news. The former footballer had been undergoing cancer treatments since 2021, and was hospitalized for the last month due to multiple ailments.

“Everything we are is thanks to you,” his daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram. “We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”

Despite his health problems, the Brazilian was able to enjoy the 2022 World Cup. Before passing away he took to Instagram to congratulate Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and the Moroccan team for their World Cup runs.

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is a constant in the conversation for the greatest football players of all time, and many consider him to be the sport’s best ever player.

According to some estimates, he scored close to 1,300 goals throughout his career, with 650 of those scored in league matches.

Dubbed “The King” by the game’s fans, he led Brazil to its first World Cup title in 1958, aged only 17. He would also win the 1962 and 1970 trophies, becoming the only player to this day to win three World Cups.

He is also Brazil’s joint top scorer, having scored 77 goals for the Selecao in 92 official games. Current superstar Neymar Jr. tied his record during the 2022 World Cup, although it took him 124 games.

Pele’s use of the term “O Jogo Bonito,” the beautiful game in English, cemented the phrase in the lexicon of football, and exemplified the Brazilian playing style.

In his club career, Pele won several titles, including Serie A Brazilian League with his club Santos, as well as the Copa Libertadores – South America’s continental club tournament.

In 1975, he made the unprecedented move of joining the now-defunct North American Soccer League, where he played for the New York Cosmos and played an instrumental role in kickstarting the sport’s po[CENSORED]rity in the US.

link: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/12/353283/brazilian-football-legend-pele-dies-at-age-82