Pele, who was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, passed away at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo following a battle with advanced colon cancer.
Pele was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo on November 29 due to his advanced colon cancer, which prompted him to be under elevated care due to kidney and cardiac dysfunctions. He passed away today (December 29, 2022) marking exactly a month after he got admitted to the hospital.
His daughter, Kely Nascimento shared a post on social media a few days ago commenting on how his health was deteriorating and how much it was affecting the family. She added that they even had to celebrate Christmas with him at the hospital.
Pele was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil to a poor family. He was regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labeled “the greatest” by FIFA, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognized as a Guinness World Record.
He was the elder of two siblings and was named after the American inventor Thomas Alva Edison. He received the nickname “Pelé” during his school days when it is claimed he was given it because of his pronunciation of the name of his favourite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé, which he misspoke, but the more he complained the more it stuck.
Pele was taught how to play football by his father, who was also a footballer. According to information, he could not afford a proper football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with string. He played for several amateur teams in his youth, including Sete de Setembro, Canto do Rio, São Paulinho, and Amériquinha. Pelé led Bauru Athletic Club juniors (coached by Waldemar de Brito) to two São Paulo state youth championships.
Many iconic football stars have also sent out their sincere condolences to the family. Rest in peace King of Football, Rest in Peace World Pele.
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