Pelé, the Brazilian footballing icon who is viewed as one of the greatest to ever play the game, has died. He was 82.
Pelé, as noted by the Associated Press, had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021 and spent the last month hospitalized.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé is rivaled by few others in the history of football. A graceful player with a sense of flair that has come to define the numerous Brazilian superstars who have followed in his footsteps, Pelé became a household name across the planet for his time with Santos and with Brazil’s national team. No player has lifted the World Cup more than O Rei, who helped lead Brazil to the game’s greatest summit in 1958 and 1970 while playing a role in their 1962 victory before suffering an injury. He was also a member of the team that made it to the final in 1966.
Across all games in his career, Pelé is believed to have scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. Taking out friendlies and other non-competitive games, Pelé found the back of the net 775 times in 840 matches for club and country. Beyond his greatness as a footballer, Pelé was revered for his work as both a humanitarian and an ambassador for the beautiful game.
