Considered by many to be the greatest ever footballer, Pele is the only player in history to win three World Cups, the first when he was a teenager.
Brazilian football player Pele died on Thursday, at the age of 82.
He had been battling with cancer, as well as kidney and heart problems.
Pele was hospitalized on November 29. He had been regularly receiving hospital care since September 2021, when a tumor was removed from his colon.
His daughter, Kely Nascimento, confirmed his death in a post on Instagram, sharing a picture of the family holding the hands of the late soccer-giant.
“We love you endlessly. Rest in peace,” she wrote.
In a post on Pele’s official Instagram account, a statement read that Pele “enchanted the world with his genius in sport” and helped to spread a message of love.
“His message today becomes a legacy for future generations. Love, love and love, forever,” the post reads.
Pele: One of football’s greatest ever players
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is widely considered one of football’s greatest ever players.
He is the only player in history to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970). In the first of those triumphs, he became the youngest ever scorer in a World Cup final, netting twice at the age of 17 years and 249 days.
He played for Brazil and club sides Santos and New York Cosmos as a striker.
Pele was the Brazilian national team’s all-time top goalscorer, with 77 goals in 92 games.
Following his playing career, Pele went on to hold a number of posts, including as a UNESCO Goodwill ambassador.
