24-hour funeral processions in Brazil for legend Pele

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Brazil legend Pele passed away

Brazilian football legend Pele, arguably the greatest player ever, has died at the age of 82

He is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country.

The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele was named Fifa's Player of the Century in 2000.

He had been suffering with kidney and prostate problems in recent years.

Pele had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon in September 2021 at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, after the tumour was detected in routine tests. He was readmitted to hospital in late November 2022.

His daughter Kely Nascimento has kept fans updated on her father's condition with regular social media updates from hospital.

On Thursday she posted a picture of what appeared to be Pele's family's hands on his body in hospital and wrote: "Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace."

The hospital confirmed that Pele died "due to the failure of multiple organs, a result of the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous clinical condition".

Pele's Twitter account posted: "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever."

The Brazilian Football Confederation said: "Pele was much more than the greatest sportsperson of all time.

"Our king of football was the greatest exponent of a victorious Brazil, who was never afraid when faced with difficulty. He promised his father a World Cup and he presented us with three.

"The King gave us a new Brazil and we are so thankful for his legacy. Thank you, Pele."

President Jair Bolsonaro has declared three days of national mourning.

Pele's former club Santos released details of his funeral. On Monday morning his body will be moved from the hospital to the club's Estadio Urbano Caldeira, where the coffin will be placed in the centre of the pitch for the public to pay respects.

On Tuesday, there will be a procession through the streets of Santos in Sao Paulo to a private family burial.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, became a global star when, aged 17, he helped Brazil win the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, forcing his way into the starting line-up by the knockout stages.

He scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Wales in the quarter-finals, a hat-trick against France in the semi-final and two in a 5-2 triumph over the hosts in the final.

What made Pele great:

Scored a reported 1,281 goals in 1,363 games
Made 14 appearances at World Cup finals, scoring 12 goals
Racked up 126 goals in 1959 alone
Only player to win three World Cups

Pele had made his debut for club side Santos two years earlier at the age of 15, scoring in a 7-1 win over Corinthians de Santo Andre.

It was the first of 643 goals he would score for the club in official competitions over 19 years, although Santos claim the total is more than 1,000 once exhibition matches - often against high-profile European opposition - are taken into account.

The Brazilian Football Confederation and Santos say Pele scored 1,283 goals in 1,367 matches, while Fifa claims it was 1,281 goals in 1,366 games

At the 1962 World Cup, Pele, then 21, scored a brilliant individual goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico to open their campaign, but was injured in the next match and watched from the sidelines as his team defended their title.

The final part of his trilogy of World Cup wins was his most iconic. After being fouled out of the 1966 tournament in England, he was the fulcrum of a thrilling attacking team that swept to the title in 1970, scoring the opening goal in a 4-1 win over Italy in the final.

'Legend' Pele synonymous with football - Lineker

From his joyful tears on the chest of team-mate Nilton Santos to his embrace with England captain Bobby Moore, Pele's moments of magic have spanned eras and defined the history of the sport.

He finished his club career as part of a star-studded New York Cosmos side, playing alongside German legend Franz Beckenbauer and fellow 1970 World Cup winner Carlos Alberto.

"In music there is Beethoven and the rest. In football, there is Pele and the rest," he said in 2000.

In a poll conducted by BBC Sport in 2020, Pele was voted the greatest player, ahead of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff.

Pele and Bobby Moore

'A boy genius, a World Cup hero, a global icon'

BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty

The image of the shirtless Pele being carried aloft by team-mates and supporters after the World Cup was won in Mexico City in 1970 is seared on the memory, along with that famous picture of another shirtless embrace with England captain Bobby Moore (above), a gesture packed with mutual respect, after Brazil's 1-0 group game victory in Guadalajara.

His greatness can be measured by the simple fact that he could make football a spectacle of natural grace and beauty when he missed as much as when he scored.

One of the game's first global personalities, Pele layered his brilliance across a career spanning from a teenager with Santos to a money-spinner at New York Cosmos.

Wherever football is played, the name of Pele will be synonymous with it.

Link to Article - Video:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42751517

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24-hour funeral processions
in Brazil for football legend Pele

The coffin carrying the remains of "O Rei" (The King) is displayed in the center of the field of the Vila Belmiro, home to Pele's club Santos, where hundreds of fans began lining up.

Brazil is preparing to pay its final goodbyes and respects as the funeral for football legend Pele begins, and a 24-hour wake is planned at the stadium where the world first learnedhis name. 

The coffin carrying the remains of "O Rei" (The King) is displayed in the center of the field of the Vila Belmiro, home to Pele's club Santos, where hundreds if not thousands of fans began lining up Monday. A funeral procession and private burial are scheduled for Tuesday, which Brazilian star Neymar Jr. is expected to attend.

The football world -- from current stars to his former teammates -- honored the man who scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches during a career spanning more than two decades

Three-time Brazilian world football champion Pele died at the age of 82 on December 29, according to his daughter Kely Nascimento. In September 2021, Pele was diagnosed with a colon tumor and was hospitalized a year later twice for the treatment of three malignant tumors and a urinary tract infection.

Last month, Pele underwent non-elective hospitalization with general swelling of the body, including heart failure. It was later reported that his body stopped responding to chemotherapy and that the football legend was provided with palliative care.

Per the legend's sister, his mother is unaware that her son has passed away. Pele's lone surviving brother was yet to inform Celeste, who recently turned 100 and is being cared for by her daughter Maria Lucia do Nascimento, that her famous footballer son has succumbed to colon cancer. 

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Football world mourns King Pele

The world of football bids farewell to late legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele

Brazil started three days of national mourning on Friday for football legend Pele, the three-time World Cup winner, who has died at the age of 82.

Pele, also known as "O Rei" (The King), died Thursday at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo after a long battle with cancer.

The football world -- from current stars to his former teammates -- honored the man who scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches during a career spanning more than two decades.

Brazil star Neymar said Pele "transformed football into an art."

France's Kylian Mbappe said his legacy "will never be forgotten," and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo called him an "inspiration to millions."

Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi wrote, "Rest in peace."

On his part, Mario Zagallo, who won the World Cup alongside Pele in 1958 and 1962, said the King had "stopped the world several times" with his talent.

"He leaves an eternal, unforgettable legacy," 91-year-old Zagallo said.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who declared three days of national mourning, said Pele had made football an "art and joy," while President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is due to take office Sunday, tweeted: "There had never been a number 10 like him."

Pele is the only footballer in history to have won three World Cups -- in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

A wake will take place on Monday, followed by a funeral on Tuesday in Santos, the southeastern city where he played most of his career. The city declared seven days of mourning as fans flocked to the team's stadium to leave flowers.

In Rio de Janeiro, the Christ the Redeemer statue which overlooks the city was illuminated in homage to Pele, as was the legendary Maracana stadium.

In front of the hospital where he died, fans held up a banner that read: "Eternal King Pele."

Born on October 23, 1940, in the southeastern city of Tres Coracoes, Pele - originally Edson Arantes do Nascimento, grew up selling peanuts on the street to help his impoverished family.

He was given the nickname Pele for his mispronunciation of Bile, the name of a goalkeeper at Vasco de Sao Lourenco, where his father once played.

At age of 15, Pele started playing professionally with Santos. He led the club to a flurry of titles, including back-to-back Intercontinental Cups in 1962-1963.

He set his scoring records playing for Santos (1956-74), the Brazilian national team, and the New York Cosmos (1975-77).

At the age of 17-year-old, Pele burst into tears after helping Brazil to its first World Cup title, in 1958. Eight years earlier, he had promised to bring the trophy home one day after seeing his father cry when Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup final on home soil to Uruguay.

When he was sick, he continued to communicate through social media. During the World Cup in Qatar this month, he urged Neymar not to retire from the Brazil team after the pre-tournament favorites were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

"He has gone, but his magic will remain. Pele is ETERNAL!," Neymar said following the King's death.

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Unlike many modern day footballers, Pele never received any bad publicity, Pele was widely loved, admired and respected