Brazil football icon,Pele, dies due to cancer complications 

Three-time World Cup winner and Brazil football legend Pele, has died at the age of  82 due to complications from cancer. 

The footballer had been receiving treatments for colon cancer, following surgery to remove a tumour in September 2021, which had required that he got regular medical treatment.

He got admitted back into the hospital at the end of November for re-evaluation of his cancer treatment, there he was diagnosed with a respiratory infection before subsequently being moved to palliative care when his body became unresponsive to chemotherapy.

Pele kicked the bucket on Thursday, December 30th at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo.  His daughter, Kely Nascimento, who had been updating fans about his health, confirmed the news on Instagram, writing: “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”

The Brazil player made his international debut at the age of 16 and announced himself to a global audience in 1958, when he was still only 17, he scored six goals in four games which led to Brazil winning the World Cup for the first time. He scored twice in a 5-2 final win over Sweden in Stockholm.

He won the World Cup on two more occasions, in 1962 and 1970, when the Selecao produced arguably the greatest final performance in the competition’s history, defeating Italy 4-1 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico. Pele won the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player.

During the tournament, ex-Manchester City boss Malcolm Allison, working as a TV summariser, asked, “How do you spell Pele?” Counterpart Pat Crerand responded, “Easy: G.O.D.”

His 1970 teammate Tostao remarked, “Pele was the greatest – he was simply flawless. And off the pitch, he is always smiling and upbeat. You never see him bad-tempered. He loves being Pele.”

Sir Bobby Charlton, part of the England side beaten 1-0 in the group stage of that tournament by Brazil, remarked later in life, “I sometimes feel as though football was invented for this magical player.”

Pele netted in 757 goals in 831 games during a glittering career from 1957 to 1977, although his long-time club Santos claim his tally was closer to a thousand.