December 29, 2022
Football royalty Pele has passed away today after his battle with colon cancer.
The Brazilian football icon, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, passed away at the age of 82 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Beginning his career at age 15, he is the only football player to win three FIFA World Cups, scoring a total of 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches. He is also recorded the Guinness Book of World Records for scoring 1,279 goals in 1,363 games. He played with the Brazil national team (later for the New York Cosmos) for his over 20 year career.
Pelé during the win at the 1970 World Cup.
He was also a passionate activist, raising awareness to many causes including the racism people of colour experienced during his time in the sport. Serving as a FIFA Ambassador against racism, Pele reported to CNN that racism "hasn't changed at all since my time". He was also a UNESCO goodwill ambassador, serving for many causes under his role.
The news of his passing was shared on his Instagram page, writing that the Brazillian star "enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war and carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love."
Cover Image: Instagram @pele