Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to the world as Pele, one of the best football players in history, died at the age of 82 in a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The legendary former Brazilian striker, who played almost his entire career for Santos and occupies an exclusive podium with the late Diego Armando Maradona and Alfredo Di Stefano, has been suffering from colon cancer since 2021 and stopped chemotherapy treatment in recent days. .
Pele was recently transferred to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. “Guys, I’m at the hospital for my monthly visit. It is always nice to receive positive messages. Thank you Qatar for this tribute and to everyone who is sending me good vibes!” he wrote on social media to comfort some of his fans who can’t find comfort right now. Amid concerns about the hospitalisation, ‘O Ray’ received a prophetic tribute during the World Cup in Qatar, which takes place in the emirate from the end of November.
The footballer has been plagued by movement problems for more than a decade, suffering from a hip problem that has left him limping on one leg. He also underwent surgery for two herniated discs, forcing him to use walkers and crutches, sometimes even a wheelchair. His frail appearance has made him the occasional victim of fake news about his death, an outcome he has so far resisted with dignity.
However, last year his health seriously deteriorated. When he went for a routine check-up, doctors discovered a malignant tumor in his large intestine. After the surgery, he was in the hospital for a little over a month and then received chemotherapy treatment, which he stopped responding to in early December. The doctors then decided to give him palliative care until he died, which happened today.
After his death, Pele leaves behind a virtually unattainable legacy: no other player has ever won three World Cups. The Brazilian striker achieved this in 1958, 1962 and 1970. In the first one, which was held in Sweden, the striker left. A purpose for historyIn the final against the hosts, when he was only 18 years old: he received a cross that he controlled with his chest in the area, he lifted the ball high into his hat, which flew over the defender and before it touched the ground. , he put it firmly on the net. A year later, this time in Santos, against Brazil’s Juventus, he repeated the hat trick. up to four times before marking.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born two decades earlier on October 23, 1940, in the town of Tres Corachoes, in the state of Minas Gerais. His father was a football player, quite mediocre; His career ended prematurely due to a ligament injury. Before establishing himself as a footballer who can earn money in football, Diko, as he was known to his friends, supported his family by working as a shoe shiner. Pele made his debut for Santos in 1957, where he would play until 1974, a time when international player trading was scarce compared to today. It is unlikely that if there was a new Pele, he would have played for the same club in Brazil for the rest of his life.
After a brief stint at the New York Cosmos, where he finally recovered from financial mismanagement that brought him to the brink of bankruptcy, Pele retired from football for good on October 1, 1977, aged 36, with 11,367 appearances. 1283 goals and legacy in history. To date, he is Brazil’s top scorer with 77 goals in all competitions, although Neymar is likely to overtake him soon with 75 and still in top form. Pele’s legacy, however, transcends statistics: he is, along with Maradona and Di Stefano – and with Leo Messi’s permission – one of the greatest footballers of all time, the total striker who led a historic Brazil and which his death is reopening. A gateway to extinct football nostalgia and, in many respects, definitely better.
Source: El Diario
