BREAKING: Great Pele, world football legend, dies of cancer, aged 82

 

THE world is thrown into mourning as legendary footballer, Edson Arantes do Nascimento (best known globally as Pele) died at the age of 82 in his native country, Brazil

 By Chuka Nnabuife|_National Light_ 

The death of the three-time World Cup winner came after a spirited battle with colon cancer.

Pele lived with kidney and prostate ailments in recent years. News of the worsening of his health condition which culminated in his being hospitalised in a life support ward almost marred the recently concluded World Cup (Quatar 2022).

The football legend, generally accepted as the greatest player to ever play in the sports, owns many records and landmarks in football. He scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches during a 21-year playing career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country, Brazil. He was a fast-paced striker and engaging poster boy of football who enjoyed an overwhelming fanbase.

Pele was the only player that won the World Cup three times, being in the Brazil teams that lifted the 1958, 1962 and 1970 editions of the Mundial. Pele was named FIFA’s Player of the 20th Century in 2000.

He was at one Brazil's Minister of Sports among other appointments. He is widely accepted as the greatest player of all time.

In recent time, the globally respected sports icon, had been undergoing serious battle with his health. In September 2021 he had a surgery to remove a tumour from his colon  at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil after the tumour was detected in routine tests. He was readmitted in hospital last month (November 2022).