SAO PAULO – Reactions poured in from around the world to the death of Brazilian soccer legend Pele. He died of cancer in Brazil at age 82. Following are reactions to his death:
“A simple goodbye to the eternal King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that hits the entire world of football at this moment. An inspiration for so many millions, a reference of yesterday, today, always. The affection he has always shown for me was reciprocal in every moment we shared, even at distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will last forever in each and every one of us football lovers. Rest in peace, King Pelé.” – Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese soccer star.
“Your place is on God´s side. My eternal king. Rest in peace.” – 1970 World Cup winner Roberto Rivellino and teammate of Pele on the Brazilian national team.
“Before Pelé, ´10´ was just a number. I read that somewhere at some point in my life. But that line, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say that before Pelé football was just a sport. Pelé changed everything. He transformed football into art, entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, to the Black and above all he gave Brazil visibility. Football and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure. Pelé is eternal!” – Brazilian soccer star Neymar.
“The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten. RIP KING,” French player Kylian Mbappe.
“Pelé had a magnetic presence and, when you were with him, the rest of the world stopped. His life is about more than football. He changed perceptions for the better in Brazil, in South America and across the world. His legacy is impossible to summarise in words. Today, we all mourn the loss of the physical presence of our dear Pelé, but he achieved immortality a long time ago and therefore he will be with us for eternity.” – FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
From spearheading the “beautiful game” to helping Brazil win three World Cup titles, Pele embodied greatness in his sport.
The incarnation of the country´s style and elegance on the field, Pele began enchanting Brazilian fans as a teenager.
He helped the Selecao lift the World Cup trophy for the first time in 1958, when he was only 17.
He excelled for years and years – and by the time Pele stopped playing in the late 1970s, he had become the standard against which every top Brazilian player has been measured.
No players have gotten close to replicating Pele’s success with the national team.
There have been many great players wearing the yellow jersey over the years – from Garrincha to Didi to Zico to Romario to Ronaldo to Ronaldinho to Neymar – but none quite lived up to Pele.
He is the only player to have won three World Cups, and remains Brazil´s all-time top scorer with 95 goals, 77 if counting only official matches against other national teams. The closest Brazilian goalscorer to Pele is Neymar with 75 goals, followed by Ronaldo with 62.
Pele played 114 matches with the national team and 92 of them were full international matches. He played in 14 World Cup games, scoring 12 goals, including in the finals in 1958 and 1970.
Pele started as a reserve in 1958 but became a key part for the team that won the final against Sweden. His first goal in that game, in which he lobbed the ball over the head of a defender and then raced around him to volley it home, was voted as one of the best in World Cup history. He scored six goals overall in the tournament.
In 1962, Pele scored in a 2-0 victory in the opening match against Mexico, but injured his left thigh in the second match against Czechoslovakia and missed the rest of the tournament that Brazil eventually won.
The 1966 World Cup in England – won by the hosts – was a bitter for Pele, who by then was already recognized as one of the world´s top players.
Pele scored in the first game, a 2-0 victory over Bulgaria, but missed the second match – a loss to Hungary – because of an injury. He returned for the third match but was slowed by fouling and hard tackles in a loss to Portugal. Brazil was knocked out in the group stage and Pele, angry at the rough treatment on the pitch, swore it would be his last World Cup.
He changed his mind and was rejuvenated in the 1970 World Cup, scoring four times, including the opening goal in the final against Italy.
Pele´s last match in Brazil´s jersey was a friendly against the former Yugoslavia in 1971. He played the first half of the 2-2 draw at Maracana Stadium and couldn´t hold back tears as he went for a final victory lap with 140,000 fans pleading for him to keep playing.
A “thank you” message was played for Pele through the stadium´s loudspeakers, and a huge banner was unfurled above the stadium with the words “Long Live the King.”
