Brazilian legend Pele passes on after illness. Picture: EPA/Tolga Bozoglu.
The man who was responsible for coining the phrase “the beautiful game”, in reference to football, has passed away.
Brazilian legend Pele was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021, and it appears that at the age of 82, the three-time Fifa World Cup winners has succumbed to the illness on Thursday.
Earlier this week, the Albert Einstein hospital, in Sao Paulo where Pele was receiving treatment, revealed that the former New York Cosmos star’s health had deteriorated and was placed in elevated care.
Pele, full-name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, began his senior career with Brazilian side Santos in 1956 where he went on to make over six-hundred appearances and scored just about as many goals.
Pele was widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time (Goat) alongside Argentine great, the late Diego Maradona. Meanwhile, modern say stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been part and parcel of the ‘Goat’ debate.
More to follow.
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