Soccer legend Pele, the only player to win three World Cups, died on Thursday in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was 82.
Pele had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer since 2021. He had been hospitalized for the lpst month with multiple health issues.
His daughter, Kely Nascimento, confirmed his death Thursday on Instagram.
“Everything we are is because of you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,” she wrote.
Pele, whose real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, helped his native Brazil win the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
He scored 77 goals in 92 matches for the national team. That total was tied by Neymar at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, albeit in 124 matches.
Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento. also won 10 league titles with his club team, Santos. At the end of his career, he played three seasons with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League and won the title in 1977. He came to the United States on a mission to make soccer more popular in the country.
–Field Level Media