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Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winner of a record 3 World Cups and standard-bearer for ‘the beautiful game,’ has died at 82.
The 82-year-old who was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento had been moved to palliative care early in December after his body stopped responding to cancer treatment.
Before Christmas Day, his family travelled to be by his side at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo.
His death was confirmed by his daughter on Thursday, December 29, 2022.
Pele was regarded by most as one of the greatest players in the history of football, leaving an indelible legacy after a career that lasted 21 years.
He played the majority of his club career at Santos, for whom he scored 643 goals in 659 matches over an 18-year period. He also represented the New York Cosmos between 1975 and 1977.
But it was his impact for Brazil that truly cemented his status as a sporting icon and all-time football great.
He helped the Selecao to World Cup success in 1958, 1962, and 1970, with no player in the tournament’s history winning it more than him.
Pele’s first World Cup triumph in 1958 came when he was just 17 years and 249 days old, making him the youngest player ever to win it. He also scored in the showpiece game, no one younger has ever netted in a World Cup final.
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