Pele, Brazil’s mighty ‘king of football’, has died at 82 after battle with cancer
- Widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, Pele had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021
- Santos, the club where Pele played in Brazil, said the public will be able to pay their final respects at Vila Belmiro Stadium, outside Sao Paulo
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Brazilian football legend Pele dies at 82
Brazil football great Pele has died at the age of 82, his family and the São Paulo hospital where he was being cared for announced on Thursday.
The Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein confirmed the footballer’s death due to multiple organ failure as a result of colon cancer.
Pele, the only man to win three World Cups, had been hospitalised since November.
“Everything we are, we owe to you,” Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram. “We love you immensely, rest in peace.”
The stadium where Pele played some of the best matches of his career will also hold his funeral on Monday and Tuesday.
Santos, the club where Pele played in Brazil, said in a statement the public will be able to pay their final respects at Vila Belmiro Stadium, outside Sao Paulo.