Football is in mourning this Thursday, December 29. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, a famous Brazilian athlete, passed away at 82 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, after spending weeks in the hospital.
One of the most legendary Brazilian team scorers has passed away, and the entire globe is mourning. When his own family revealed that his health was deteriorating, it was widely believed that the soccer icon would depart this world.
Everyone who played soccer prayed for Pelé, who would always hold a special place in the hearts of sports enthusiasts. FIFA showed itself during the Qatar 2022 World Cup with an extraordinary tribute in which more than a hundred drones sketched their shirt over the city of Doha.
Now, this truth has been lamented in numerous social media postings. On social media, many athletes and fans have shared their opinions regarding benching this all-star athlete.
What was Pele’s cause of death?
After his passing, Pelé left behind a lasting legacy. After a valiant fight against a colon malignancy discovered in September 2021, the player passed away. His illness required a number of ineffective chemotherapies.
Recent medical reports state that he had kidney and cardiac issues, which sent him to intensive care and may have ultimately caused his death. Despite the preceding, the precise causes of death are still unknown; nevertheless, as was said above, it is currently known that he died due to complications from colon cancer, which had been plaguing him for a year.
This video always gets me. Pick your favorite footballer and their skills.
Pelé did it first https://t.co/l6oRYp1eSo
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) December 29, 2022
Who is Pele?
Pele, real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was born on October 23, 1940, in the city of Tres Coracoes, in the southeast of Brazil. He grew up selling peanuts on the street to support his struggling family.
Thomas Edison, a famous American inventor, inspired his parents to name him. However, because he mispronounced Bile, a goalie of Vasco de Sao Lourenco, where his footballer father previously played, he was quickly given the nickname Pele.
Pele wowed audiences as soon as he was 15 and began playing professionally for Santos. In 1962 and 1963, he defeated Benfica and AC Milan to lead the team to back-to-back Intercontinental Cup victories.
He was regarded as a “national treasure” in Brazil because of his prowess with the ball and his embodiment of the magnificent “samba football” style. He played for Santos (1956–1974), the Brazilian national team, and the New York Cosmos, scoring 1,281 goals in 1,363 games (1975-77).
Beyond his accomplishments, he will be recognized for redefining the sport and always wearing the number 10. The first international football star, he helped turn the sport into a major force in sports and commerce by using his extraordinary athleticism despite being only 1.70 meters tall.

As seen by the iconic black-and-white footage of the 17-year-old sensation sobbing after leading Brazil to its first World Cup victory in 1958, he also played with passion. He had vowed to bring the World Cup trophy home one day after witnessing his father sob eight years earlier as Brazil fell to Uruguay at home in the 1950 World Cup final.
The 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the first to be aired in color, was when Pele attained the height of his brilliance. He played on what many consider the best squad in history, including players like Rivellino, Tostao, and Jairzinho.
When he traveled abroad with Santos or the national team, he was frequently greeted like a king or queen. According to legend, the terrible Biafra conflict was put on hold for 48 hours in 1969 due to his entrance into Nigeria.
Pele turned down invitations to play in Europe, but near the end of his career, he signed for a quick, lucrative farewell tour with the Cosmos, returning his star power to the home of “soccer.” He also held positions as a movie star, musician, and sports minister (1995–1998), making him one of Brazil’s first black cabinet members. His influence stretched beyond the field of play.
However, he occasionally came under fire in Brazil for his silence on social issues and racism and for what some perceived as his arrogant, conceited character.
Pele was viewed as close to those in authority, especially Brazil’s military rule from 1964 to 1985, in contrast to Argentine rebel Diego Maradona, his competition for the title of most outstanding player of all time.
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Pele’s public appearances had become less regular, and he frequently sat in a wheelchair or walker. He underwent multiple hospitalizations for urinary infections before being readmitted in 2021 and 2022 due to the colon cancer that signaled the beginning of his demise. But he handled his health issues with his characteristic wit.
“I will face this match with a smile on my face,” he posted on Instagram in September 2021, after surgery to remove his colon tumor.
He was deeply moved when Maradona, his longtime friend and rival, died of a heart attack in 2020 at age 60.
“The world has lost a legend,” he wrote.
“One day, I hope we play soccer together in the sky.”
Daughter’s heartbreaking post as Messi, Ronaldo tribute after football superstar Pele dies
Brazilian football legend Pele, widely recognized as the best player of all time, passed away on Thursday at 82, according to his family. Pele was a three-time World Cup champion and the architect of the “beautiful game.”
“Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,” daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram.
Pelé's daughter on Instagram: "Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace. 💔" pic.twitter.com/uevgedQunn
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 29, 2022
Pele is the only footballer in history to have won three World Cups, in 1958, 1962, and 1970, earning him the title of athlete of the century from the International Olympic Committee in 1999.
Before retiring in 1977, he amassed over 1,000 goals over one of the most legendary careers in sports, earning the moniker “O Rei” (The King). He had been fighting colon cancer and kidney issues, requiring surgery in September 2021 and chemotherapy. His health had been deteriorating.
According to his former club, Pele’s wake will take place on Monday at local time, and his funeral will take place on Tuesday at Santos, where he spent most of his playing days.
“The wake for the greatest footballer of all time will be held in Urbano Caldeira Stadium, better known as the Vila Belmiro, where he enchanted the world,” Santos football club said in a statement, adding that Pele would then get a funeral procession through the city’s streets before a private burial ceremony.
FIFA said Pele was “immortal” after the Brazil legend’s death, writing: “Pele: immortal — forever with us” on its website.
“For everyone who loves the beautiful game, this is the day we never wanted to come. The day we lost Pele,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“Today, we all mourn the loss of the physical presence of our dear Pele, but he achieved immortality a long time ago and therefore, he will be with us for eternity.”
Brazilian legend Pelé has passed away at 82, one of the greatest of all time who changed the game.
A man with a god-given talent, one of the names who will remain forever in the memory.
All thoughts with the family.
RIP, legend 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/xxndio7gmM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 29, 2022
Rest in Peace, Pelé. One of the greatest icons in sports, not just fútbol. A 3-time World Cup champion and a revolutionary. He was #BRA’s most iconic Afro-Latino athlete, defying logic & conventional sentiment. At 17, he was a champion. For the rest of his life, it continued. pic.twitter.com/pT82rttjdK
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) December 29, 2022
This video always gets me. Pick your favorite footballer and their skills.
Pelé did it first https://t.co/l6oRYp1eSo
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) December 29, 2022
Here’s another video. One of my favorites. Pelé’s bicycle in Escape to Victory, one of the greatest movies ever made. He even made a nazi stand up and applaud pic.twitter.com/LydFGjqadQ
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) December 29, 2022
A great tribute from @FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/YhxyoMRrAf
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) December 29, 2022
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Final lines
Pele, a football superstar from Brazil and one of the all-time great players, passed away at 82. After a battle with cancer, the former striker—the first player in history to win three World Cups—died at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo.
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