News of Pelé’s passing was announced on Thursday by São Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital, where he had been undergoing palliative care, news outlets reported.
Pelé, pictured in 2016. Photo: EPA/WILL OLIVER
The hospital said Pelé died at 3:27 p.m. on Thursday "due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition," according to the Reuters news agency.
'King of the beautiful game’
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé overcame abject poverty to become football’s first global superstar, Britain's The Times newspaper noted.
He wowed crowds around the world with his phenomenal all-round soccer skills, winning the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Pelé’s most memorable matches included a two-goal performance as a 18-year-old in Brazil's 5-2 win over Sweden in the 1958 World Cup final in Stockholm, and an accomplished display in the national team's 4-1 drubbing of Italy in the 1970 World Cup final in Mexico.
Britain’s The Times wrote in his obituary: “Pelé popularised the description of football as ‘the beautiful game’ and no one played it more beautifully or with such joy than the man known as the King in his native Brazil.”
'Farewell, King': Poland's Boniek
Polish football legend Zbigniew Boniek took to Twitter to express his grief at Pelé’s passing. He wrote: “Farewell, King.”
Pelé visited Poland shortly after Brazil won the 1958 World Cup. On May 25, 1960, his club team Santos beat the Polish national team 5-2 at the Silesian Stadium in the southern city of Chorzów. Pelé scored twice in that match, the interia.pl website noted.
R.I.P. Pelé
Former England international Mike Phelan said in a tweet: “3 x winner and 12 World Cup goals. The reason so many of us picked up a ball. RIP Pelé.”
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Sources: PAP, przegladsportowy.onet.pl, Reuters, thetimes.co.uk, interia.pl