Pelé, one of the greatest soccer players of all time and a transformative figure in twentieth-century sports, died on Thursday in So Paulo. He was 82.
Joe Fraga, his manager, confirmed his death in a hospital.
Pelé, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is considered one of the greatest football (also known as soccer) players of all time. He was born in Brazil in 1940 and began playing professional football at the age of 15. Pelé quickly gained fame for his impressive skill and speed on the field, and he played for Brazil’s national team in three World Cups, winning the tournament twice.
Throughout his career, Pelé scored a staggering 1,281 goals in 1,363 games, making him the all-time leading scorer in the history of professional football. He was also known for his sportsmanship and graciousness, both on and off the field.
Pelé’s talent and charisma made him a global icon, and he was widely revered in Brazil and around the world as a symbol of excellence in football. He was inducted into the Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame in 1998 and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2004. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named Pelé the “Athlete of the Century.”
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