Soccer legend Pele died at age 82 on Thursday after a yearlong battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.
His death comes after Pele was moved to “end-of-life” care in a hospital late last month after his body was no longer responding to chemotherapy treatments, according to local reports. Pele was initially hospitalized on Nov. 30 with a respiratory infection after experiencing some “general swelling.”
PELE HOSPITALIZED: BRAZIL WORLD CUP LEGEND MOVED TO ‘END-OF-LIFE’ CARE, LOCAL REPORTS SAY
Pele thanked his fans for the well wishes he received while in the hospital, saying its “always nice to receive positive messages like this.”
The soccer player has been battling cancer since September 2021 after he had a tumor removed from his colon, undergoing chemotherapy treatments ever since then. The soccer player was moved to palliative care on Saturday, with doctors only treating him for symptoms of pain or shortness of breath.
Pele leaves behind a legacy as one of the greatest soccer players in the world, winning three of his World Cup appearances in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He’s considered the top scorer in Brazil, scoring 1,281 goals throughout his 1,363-game career.
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He was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics in 2000, and he was also awarded the FIFA Player of the Century Award the same year.
A number of tributes came pouring in to honor the player’s legacy, including former England soccer player Sir Geoff Hurst.
“I have so many memories of Pele, without doubt the best footballer I ever played against (with Bobby Moore being the best footballer I ever played alongside),” Hurst said in a tweet. “For me Pele remains the greatest of all time and I was proud to be on the pitch with him. RIP Pele and thank you.”
Pele has died. The most divine of footballers and joyous of men. He played a game only a few chosen ones have come close to. 3 times he lifted the most coveted gold trophy in that beautiful yellow shirt. He may have left us but he’ll always have footballing immortality. RIP Pele
— Gary Lineker ?? (@GaryLineker) December 29, 2022
“Pele has died. The most divine of footballers and joyous of men. He played a game only a few chosen ones have come close to. 3 times he lifted the most coveted gold trophy in that beautiful yellow shirt,” said Gary Lineker, another former soccer player from England. “He may have left us but he’ll always have footballing immortality. RIP Pele.”
