The Brazilian football legend, "Pele", the magician of football, died at the age of 82 on Thursday, December 29, 2022.
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Pele is the only player in history of football to have won three World Cups, in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
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In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him athlete of the century.
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Before retiring in 1977, he had scored over 1,000 goals in one of the most illustrious careers in sports.
Image Credit : Instagram @pele
Pele's real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, and he grew up selling peanuts on the street to support his impoverished family.
Image Credit : Instagram @pele
Pele wowed audiences from the time he was 15 and began playing professionally for Santos.
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In 1,363 games for Santos, he set an all-time record with 1,281 goals (1956-74), the Brazilian national team, and the New York Cosmos (1975-77).
Image Credit : Instagram @pele
In 1958, Pele won Brazil its first World Cup Football Title at the age of 17. it was the era of black and white footage.
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Pele turned down offers to play in Europe and instead agreed to a brief, lucrative swan song with the Cosmos at the end of his career.
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His dominance extended beyond the field, with appearances as a movie star, singer, and, later, sports minister (1995-1998)
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Unlike his competitor for the title of greatest of all time, Argentine rebel Diego Maradona, Pele was seen as close to those in power.
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He was admitted to the hospital so many times for urinary infections, as well as in 2021 and 2022 for colon cancer.
Image Credit : Instagram @pele