Pele passed away
According to Albert Einstein Hospital, Pele died of failure of many organs in the body, a result of colon cancer.
The football legend's funeral, according to the AP, is scheduled to take place next Monday and Tuesday, January 2 and 3, 2023. Before burial, Pele's coffin will be carried through the streets of Santos - the coastal city in the state of Sao Paulo where he began his great football career.
Pele, full name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was born on October 23, 1940 in Tres Coracoes. He is an iconic player in football history having won the World Cup three times with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and is the only player in history to do so. Pele also scored the third most goals in history with 762 goals, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He and Diego Maradona were jointly voted the Best Player of the 20th Century by FIFA.
Hailed as the "King of Football", Pele's playing career spanned 15 years, with most of his time with Santos, from 1956 to 1974, where he scored 618 goals in 636 games. From 1975 to 1977, Pele went to the US to play for the New York Cosmos, scoring 37 goals in 64 games, before retiring. At the national team level, he scored 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil.
Pele continued to dedicate himself to football after retiring. He has served as an ambassador for many organizations, including the United Nations. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded Pele the title of "Athlete of the Century" even though he had never attended the Olympics. In 2016, he was awarded the Olympic Order, the highest award for his contributions to the Olympics. Pele was included in Times magazine's list of the 20 most important people of the 20th century.
Pele was diagnosed with colon cancer in September 2021. Before that, he had kidney disease and hip surgery in 2012. Pele has been in a wheelchair since 2020. In September 2021, he had surgery to remove a tumor in his intestines and then had to undergo chemotherapy. In early 2022, cancer cells had spread to his intestines, liver and lungs.
On November 29, the 82-year-old legend entered Albert Einstein Hospital (Sao Paulo) to re-evaluate the treatment process. At the time, Brazilian media reported that Pele had accepted palliative care and mental reassurance - a method commonly used for patients who are no longer able to save, to prepare them for what happens. died.
