Football Legend Pele Passes Away At 82 After Long Battle With Cancer

Three-time Fifa World Cup winning Brazilian football legend Pele passed away on Friday after a long battle with cancer.

Three-time Fifa World Cup winning Brazilian football legend Pele passed away on Friday after a long battle with cancer.

Source : AFP

Three-time Fifa World Cup winning Brazilian football legend Pele passed away on Friday after a long battle with cancer. Pele, born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was suffering from kidney and heart ailments and had been in hospital since November with multiple ailments.

Pele underwent a procedure for the removal of a colon tumour last year. On November 29, he was admitted to the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, due to a complication of colon cancer. He breathed his last at the hospital after suffering multiple organ failure.

Pele was born on October 23, 1940, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, to footballer Dondinho Nadcimento and Celeste Arantes. Poverty drove him to working at local tea stalls for meagre amounts. His father trained him using cloth and newspaper-stuffed socks or grapefruits.

The Brazilian legend guided his country to three World Cup victories in 1958, 1962, and 1970. Pele, who played his last international game on July 18, 1971, against Yugoslavia in Rio de Janeiro, ended up with 77 career goals in 92 games. He continues to be the top goalscorer for Brazil.

Pele was known for his anticipation on the field and top-notch powerful finishes that would leave goalkeepers eating dust. Pele, who would play as a striker or centre forward in the initial years of his career, developed versatility in his game that allowed him to move deeper into the field and build up plays with quick dribbles and exceptional passing. His flair on the field and feint moves, such as the 'drible da vaca', allowed him to beat his opponents with ease and grace.

Pele's was known for his on and off-field charisma and sense of sportsmanship. He was hailed as a gentleman and widely connected with the phrase 'The Beautiful Game'. Pelé played his career's last game in an exhibition match between the Cosmos and Santos on October 1, 1977, at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey, US. Pele played the first half of the game with the Cosmos and the second half with Santos. He scored the last goal of his stupendous career at this match from a 30-yard free kick. 

Pele became the UNESCO's Goodwill Ambassador 1994 and a year later he was appointed as the Extraordinary Minister for Sport for his nation.