Soccer Legend and Global Icon Pelé Passes Away at Age 82

Pelé, the worldwide figure of soccer, has passed away at 82. The former Brazilian national team star, formally known as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is celebrated as the greatest footballer who has ever played the game.

Pelé, who was born on October 23, 1940, scored a total of 1283 goals in 1366 matches between 1956 and 1977. As a member of the Brazilian national team, he was also a star participant in the three World Cup victories that the team had during his career. During the remarkable span from 1958 to 1970, he scored 77 goals in 92 matches.

Given his extraordinary feats, Pelé went on to be presented with numerous awards and accolades. In 1977, the young soccer legend was revered as the Global Sportsman of the Year and in 1991, he was elected the Athlete of the Century in Europe. In the United States, he was selected into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1993 and in the same year, he was presented with the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.

These achievements and many more are testament to the sheer fame that Pelé had uniformly received throughout the globe. Beyond his sheer brilliance in the football field, Pelé had always strived to use his fame as a vessel to inspire, to motivate and to help others.

In 1992, Pelé and UNICEF created the ‘Pelé for Children’, an organization that sought to deliver help and assistance to children who are economically or socially marginalized all over the world. Along with Pelé’s efforts, this program had made great strides and had helped many needy children all over the world.

Apart from the humanitarian efforts, the notable football star has always shown the utmost respect for the sport itself. Until his death, Pelé still viewed football as a great privilege and a duty to maintain and develop the levels of excellence that he had been instructed with.

His death today is beyond a sad loss of a great individual. The loss of such a legendary figure to the footballing world is great, as his skills and charismatic presence will be sorely missed. Pelé, the foremost icon of soccer, has now passed away, but he remains a symbol of inspiration and human achievement around the world.

You can always keep his memory alive by getting a pele jersey from amazon at any time.