Pele, the Brazilian legend, died at 82 in Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil. Recently, news about his hospitalization emerged since he had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021, followed by regular hospital care. The newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported that his chemotherapy wasn’t effective, and doctors opted for palliative care.

Pele, whose real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, deserves credit despite today’s focus on Ronaldo and Messi. He pioneered the fancy moves of football and was the joint-top goalscorer for Brazil and Santos’ all-time top goalscorer. He led Santos to victory in several prestigious competitions, earning him the titles of 1999 IOC Athlete of the Century and 1999 FIFA Athlete of the Century.

Tributes poured in from across sport, politics, and popular culture for a figure who epitomized Brazil’s dominance of the beautiful game.

Additionally, President Jair Bolsonaro’s government, who leaves office on Sunday, declared three days of mourning. In a statement, they praised Pele as “a great citizen and patriot, raising the name of Brazil wherever he went.”

Furthermore, Bolsonaro’s successor, President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, tweeted that “few Brazilians carried the name of our country as far as he did.”

Both Mbappe and Messi tweeted the legend.

The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.
RIP KING ??… pic.twitter.com/F55PrcM2Ud

— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) December 29, 2022

Leo Messi on Instagram: Rest in Peace, Pelé. pic.twitter.com/4pv4mTKZHB

— Leo Messi ? (@WeAreMessi) December 29, 2022