Brazilian Football Icon Pele Dies Aged 82 After Long Battle With Cancer

Pele, the iconic Brazilian footballer has died aged 82, his family have announced.

Arguably the greatest footballer of all time, the Brazilian had spent about a month at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo due to his cancer advancement and was recently put under elevated care due to kidney and cardiac dysfunctions. In 2021, he had surgery to remove a tumor on the right side of his colon and subsequently began chemotherapy.

Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram: “We are thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”

No details have been made public yet about the funeral, but a vigil will be held at Vila Belmiro in Santos, the city where the great will be buried. 

Pele remains the only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

R.I.P