Brazilian football legend Pelé passes away

December 29, 2022 Binge Access

Brazilian soccer legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento famously known as Pelé passes away after losing his long battle with colon cancer on thursday the 29th of December 2022. His agent Joe Fraga and the legend’s family confirmed this news to Binge Access. He was only 82 at the time of his death. The condolences of not on the football world, but the entire sports fraternity has started to pour in as this news spreads.

A inspiração e o amor marcaram a jornada de Rei Pelé, que faleceu no dia de hoje.

Amor, amor e amor, para sempre.
.
Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today.

Love, love and love, forever. pic.twitter.com/CP9syIdL3i
— Pelé (@Pele) December 29, 2022

Pele’s official twitter account broke the sad news of his demise to the world and the world has been paying their homage to the Brazilian soccer legend.

Christiano Ronaldo CR-7 posted the picture of him and Pelé on his Facebook page with a long eulogy written for the deceased superstar in his native language.

Table of Contents

Pelé’s rise to the international stardom

Pelé arrived on the international football scene in style in 1958 FIFA World Cup when he scored 3 goals in the Semi Final match & 2 more goals in the final at the tender age of 17 only. That year he played an integral role in Brazilian team’s winning the FIFA World Cup trophy. He would further go on and push his nation to win two more times at the prestigious Fifa world cup.

Pelé’s power & influence in Brazil

Brazil hails Pelé as a hero. He has a God like presence in Brazil. Football is termed near to religion in Brazil that is the reason why in 1969 the country issued its stamp bearing Pelé’s face on his 1000th goal score. In 1999, FIFA termed him as the co-player of the century sharing the top spot with Diego Maradona of Argentina with him bagging the athlete of the century granted to him by the International Olympic Committee.

In 1970 he made a new record by pulling 900 million viewers to see him play the last time in his world cup game.

“To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full.”
Nelson Mandela (2000)

The flamboyant lifestyle of Pelé

The legend’s autobiography came out in 1977 named ‘My Life and the Beautiful Game‘ and in it Robert Fish was seeing mentioning that he has the most recognized face in the entire world. He has more photos taken of him than any other athlete. His high profile meet ups include Kings, Presidents, Chief of States, Popes whos who of the A list. He hold the record for having the most honourary citizenships than any other person in the world.

The movie & music career of Pelé

As with most famous athletes, Pelé tried his luck on the big screen as well. In 1987 he starred in the Hollywood movie called Hotshot. In 1981 he co-starred with the great Sylvester Stallone in the movie called Escape to Victory. He even composed the music for the movie which was made after his name in 1977 called Pelé. Even Netflix made a documentary on him from his life in the years 1958-1970.

Pelé’s childhood and early years

Pelé was born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23rd, 1940, his parents named him after Thomas Edison. He grew up in a small, impoverished town of Tres Coracoes in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. His initial nick name was Dico but later people started calling him Pelé by which the world knows him as. His father played football too at a local level, barely managing his bread and butter out of it, that is the reason why Pele’s mother was against him playing football.

“Mother wasn’t too pleased by my constant attention to football. She put it in the same category as bank robbery.”
Pelé

In his initial days he recalled he didnt have the shoes to play soccer with as he played bare-footed with other children. At 7 years of age he started shining shoes at the club where his dad used to play football at.

The last words of Pelé’

Pelé’s last words came after the FIFA World cup win of Argentina over France in the recent FIFA World cup final, where after watching he match Pelé’ said:

“Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way, what a gift it was to watch this spectacle of the future of our sport.” – Pelé’