Pelé, the Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died Thursday. He was 82.
FILE - Brazil's soccer legend Pele attends the opening of an exhibit about his life titled King's Marks, in Brasilia, Brazil, June 25, 2008. Pel, the Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died in Sao Paulo on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. He was 82.
He carried Brazil to soccer’s heights and became a global ambassador for his sport in a journey that began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags. Injury limited him to just two games when Brazil retained the world title in 1962, but Pelé was the emblem of his country’s World Cup triumph of 1970 in Mexico. He scored in the final and set up Carlos Alberto with a nonchalant pass for the last goal in a 4-1 victory over Italy.
Pelé was Brazil’s first modern Black national hero but rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to hail from the white minority.“He said that he would never play if he had to stop every time he heard those chants,” said Angelica Basthi, one of Pelé’s biographers. “He is key for Black people’s pride in Brazil, but never wanted to be a flagbearer.”
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, in the small city of Tres Coracoes in the interior of Minas Gerais state on Oct. 23, 1940, Pelé grew up shining shoes to buy his modest soccer gear. He changed his mind and was rejuvenated in the 1970 World Cup. In a game against England, he struck a header for a certain score, but the great goalkeeper Gordon Banks flipped the ball over the bar in an astonishing move. Pelé likened the save — one of the best in World Cup history — to a “salmon climbing up a waterfall.” Later, he scored the opening goal in the final against Italy, his last World Cup match.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winner of record 3 World Cups, has died at 82BREAKING Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winner of record 3 World Cups and standard-bearer for 'the beautiful game,' has died at 82.
Read more »
Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winner of record 3 World Cups, has died at 82Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winner of record 3 World Cups and standard-bearer for 'the beautiful game,' has died at 82.
Read more »
Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winner of record 3 World Cups, has died at 82Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winner of record 3 World Cups and standard-bearer for 'the beautiful game,' has died at 82.
Read more »
Brazilian soccer legend Pelé dies at age 82Brazilian soccer star Pelé died at the age of 82 on Thursday after battling colon cancer. Pelé is widely regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time.
Read more »
Brazilian soccer legend Pelé has died at 82BREAKING: Pelé, Brazil's mighty king of soccer, has died. He was 82. Since 2021, he had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer discovered during a routine medical exam.
Read more »