The legendary Brazilian football player Pele has died. He was 82 years old. The death was confirmed by the playerʼs agent, Joe Fraga.
This was reported by the Washington Post.
Pele was born on October 23, 1940 in Tres Coraquez. The legendary player, who was called "The King", played for the first time at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden at the age of 17. Then he became the youngest football player of the tournament. His teammates carried him off the field on their shoulders after he scored the two winning goals for Brazil.
He was a professional football player from 1956 to 1977. He became the world champion three times. FIFA recognized him as the best football player of the 20th century.
In 1967, the participants in the Nigerian civil war agreed to a short-term ceasefire so that Pele could play a match in the country. In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him. When Pele visited Washington to help promote the game in the United States, the US president was the first to extend his hand.
"My name is Ronald Reagan, I am the president of the United States of America. But you donʼt need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pele is," the US president told his guest.
After Pele stopped playing football, he was Brazilʼs Minister of Sports, a businessman, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations. He played in movies, TV series, composed songs, and recorded CDs with popular Brazilian music.
Since 2021, Pele has been treated for colon cancer. He has been in the hospital for the past month.