Pelé, King Of Soccer & The Only Player To Win World Cup Thrice, Dies At 82 Battling Cancer

Pelé, a name that has resonated with every person regardless of their liking for football, took his last breath in Sao Paulo on December 29. The Brazilian football star, nicknamed O Rei (The King), rose from barefoot poverty to being crowned as one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history. He is credited with having earned football the title of "the beautiful game" and spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and opponents equally as one of the most prolific scorers.

Since 2021, the 82-year-old has been in and out of the hospital for months for the treatment of colon cancer. His health deteriorated on December 29, after which his agent Joe Fraga confirmed his death. Soon after the sad note of the King's demise was announced, many football players and lovers of the sport flooded to pay their tributes and honours to one of the greatest of all time.

The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.
RIP KING 💔👑… pic.twitter.com/F55PrcM2Ud

— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) December 29, 2022

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From Kicking Rags To World Cup Football

Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in the small humble city of Tres Coracoes in the interior of Minas Gerais state. He picked the sport from his father, a semi-professional in the game whose career was halted due to an unfortunate knee injury. Born into poverty, Pelé learned the game by kicking a sock stuffed with rags and went on to shine shoes so as to be able to buy modest soccer gear.

With the kind of expertise he showcased, he was soon able to join a small coastal club Santos at the age of 15 and turned it into one of the most iconic names in football. He debuted with the Brazil team at the age of 16 and scored against grown men with the same ease he displayed against friends back at his home ground. He was widely respected and looked up to for his game and the stamina he exhibited on the field.

Pelé was the youngest ever player at the 1958 World Cup tournament in Sweden and represented the team despite a team psychologist tagging him "obviously infantile" and advising the team against choosing him. Then 17-year-old went on to score a hat-trick against France, another two goals in the final against the host Swedish team, and earned Brazil its first-ever championship. The photograph of Pelé being carried off the field on teammates' shoulders after scoring in the final continues to be an iconic image in football history.

Brazilian legend & the G.O.A.T Pelé has passed away at 82

Rip KING #Pele pic.twitter.com/9CIMgUdP1O

— Thyview (@Thyview) December 29, 2022

Over 18 years in the club, he continued to bring international fame to the club and won every honour in Brazilian football, two Intercontinental Cups (the annual tournament held between best teams from Europe and South America) and two Copa Libertadores (the South American equivalent of the Champions League.) By the 1970 tournament in Mexico, Pelé returned after a small hiatus and won the World Cup title for the third time for Brazil.

Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich, who played against Pelé in the 1970 final, was quoted saying, "I told myself before the game, 'He's made of skin and bones just like everyone else'. But I was wrong." Pelé, donned in a bright, yellow Brazil jersey, with the No.10 stamped on the back doing his trademark goal celebration, continues to remain etched in the minds of soccer fans worldwide. From a small coastal club, he went on to be tagged as a global ambassador for the game.

"Everyone Knows Who Pelé Is"

The 82-year-old Brazilian king of soccer in his lifetime won a record three World Cups - the only player to have won it, a goal total somewhere between 650 (league matches) to 1,281 (all senior matches, some against the low-level competition), and went on to being one of the highest commanding sports figures. His run with Santos is said to have stretched for over three decades until he entered semi-retirement after the 1972 season. At the time, many Wealthy European clubs tried to bag him into their teams, but the Brazilian government intervened and declared Pelé a national treasure.

Pelé went on to be known for his sublime skills and the winning smile that charmed popes, presidents and Hollywood stars. According to a report by the New Indian Express, factions of a civil war in Nigeria (1967) had agreed to a brief cease-fire just so that Pelé could play an exhibition match in the country. Pelé had grown to become a household name. Even as he visited Washington to help popularise the game in North America, the then US President said, "My name is Ronald Reagan, I'm the president of the United States of America, but you don't need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is."

Pelé's life after soccer was also quite notable as he took up the roles of Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport, an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations, an actor in movies and soap operas, and even a popular Brazilian music composer. As he bids goodbye to the world, Pelé leaves behind a legacy that will continue to live on for years to come.

Also Read: Football Fever: Recollecting Kerala's Craze For The Sport Amidst Cut-Out Wars & World Cup Debates