BY Jerry Lenbang
Pele, the Brazil footballing legend and three-time World Cup winner, has died at the age of 82.
According to AP, Joe Fraga, his agent, broke the news on Thursday evening.
Kely Nascimento, Pele’s daughter, also confirmed her dad’s demise in an Instagram post.
“Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,” she wrote.
The post was accompanied by a picture, presumptively of his family members putting their hands on his body.
Family members had gathered at the Albert Einstein Israelita Hospital in Sao Paulo — where he was receiving treatment — shortly before Christmas.
Widely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest players, Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, had been battling colon cancer since 2021.
He had also been hospitalised for the last month with multiple ailments while undergoing treatment for the cancer.
Pele has an enviable and unmatched record of winning the FIFA World Cup on three occasions. He lifted the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
He played most of his club football with Santos, the all conquering Brazilian side, and was said to have scored a record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a career that spanned 21 years.
Pele, who scored 77 goals in 92 matches for Brazil, was named FIFA’s player of the century in 2000.
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