Brazilian Football King Pelé, Dies, Aged 82

Pelé, one of football’s all-time greatest players, has died aged 82 after a significant decline of his health.

The Brazilian football king had a colon tumour removed in 2021 – but was recently readmitted to a hospital in São Paulo in November with deteriorating health.

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On Thursday, a statement from the Albert Einstein Hospital confirmed Pelé’s passing.

“It is with great sadness that Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein confirms that Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known as "Pelé", passed away today, December 29th, 2022, at 15:27 pm, due to multiple organ failure, as a consequence of a colon cancer associated with previous medical conditions,” the statement read.

“Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein expresses its solidarity with his family and all those who suffer with the loss of our beloved King of Soccer.”

A statement made by Pelé’s family on his Instagram page also confirmed the news, paying tribute to his love of football and what Pelé helped achieved in the world.

“On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love,” it read.

By the end of his soccer career, Pelé was able to achieve joint all-time record scorer (1,283, more than double his closest challenger), was a three-time World Cup champion and only one of three players to score at four Cups, and FIFA’s Football Player of the Century.

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