Pele: Brazil football legend dies at age 82, after battling cancer

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 from kidney and prostrate problems in recent years, the BBC Sports reports.

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 the hospital.

On Thursday she posted a picture of what appeared to be Pele’s family’s hands on his body in the hospital.

She wrote: “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”