Brazilian football legend Pele dies at 82

Brazil’s world famous footballer Pele (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) has passed away. 82-year-old Pele died on Thursday night while undergoing treatment at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. Pele, suffering from colon cancer, was admitted to the hospital a month ago for treatment. Meanwhile, three days of national mourning have been declared in Brazil after the death of Pele. President Jair Bolsonaro’s government announced three days of mourning in a statement, saying Pele was a great and patriotic citizen who raised the name of Brazil.

Pale has made his debut in international football at the age of 17. During his playing career, he participated in the World Cup four times between 1958 and 1970. Brazil won three of them by themselves. Pele won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He scored 12 goals in a total of 14 World Cup matches. In 2000, FIFA announced him as the player of the decade. He spent 62 years as a football player, he scored a world record 1,281 goals in his 21-year career. He has scored 77 goals in 92 matches for Brazil.

Pele was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on 23 October 1940.  He was the elder of two siblings. He received the nickname “Pelé” during his school days. Pele married three times, and had several affairs, fathering at least seven children in all.