Legendary Brazilian football player, Pelé, the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, has died at the age of 82 on Thursday, 29th December, 2022, in a Sao Paolo hospital where he was undergoing treatment.
According to reports, he had been in increasingly fragile health and was battling kidney problems and colon cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy, however, he stopped responding to the medical procedure and was shifted to palliative care.
The legendary football had a tumour removed from his colon in 2021 and was taking chemotherapy ever since.
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.
There was a statement also, on the legendary footballers instagram page.
Pelé was hospitalized on November 29th had been regularly receiving hospital care since September 2021, when a tumor was removed from his colon.
Reports says he died due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition
Pelé is the only player in history to win three World Cups, the first when he was a teenager.
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.
A public funeral is set to be held next week Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd Janary 2023, outside Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the Vila Belmiro Stadium, where he played for many years with the Santos football club. The casket is set to pass in front of the house of his 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, before being placed in the center of the field.
Pele was born on October 23, 1940, in the southeastern city of Tres Coracoes. The Brazilian football player, also termed ‘The Greatest’ by FIFA, is the only footballer in history to win three World Cups – 1958, 1962 and 1970. Nicknamed “O Rei” (The King).
Pele scored more than 1,000 goals in one of the most storied careers in sport, before retiring in 1977.
Story: Hilda Katu
Media: @Pele/ Instagram, @Iamkelynascimento/ Instagram