Pelé, the legendary Brazilian footballer dies at age 82 following a long battle with cancer that left him hospitalized at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo Brazil, for a month.

Pelé whose given name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento rose to international stardom at the 1958 World Cup when as a 17-year-old, he helped Brazil lift the World Cup in Sweden. He became the youngest player to lift the trophy. He was also an integral part of the teams that won the 1962 and 1970 World Cups. Pelé became the sport’s first global icon and a legend in his own right as the Brazilian football star won three World Cup titles for his country.

In the year 2000, he was named FIFA’s Player of the Century. He represented Brazil a total of 92 times and scored an amazing 77 goals. In a 21-year career, he was awarded with an astonishing 1281 goals, which were scored in just 1363 games. He made 14 appearances at the World Cup finals scoring 12 goals.

Pelé left an impeccable legacy and will always be remembered as the greatest footballer of all time.

Tributes:

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo shared his condolences to all of Brazil and its fans, including Pele’s family, saying he was an inspiration to millions. This after he shared a photo of Pele in his younger days.

In a statement, Pele’s family describes him as an “inspiration” and that “love marked the journey of King Pele”

This story will be updated subsequent to our newscast