Lula: “Few Brazilians have carried the name of our country as far as he does”
Lula, President of Brazil: “I had the privilege that young Brazilians did not have: I saw Pelé play, live, in Pacaembu and Morumbi. Play, no. I saw Pelé give a show. Because when he received the ball he always did something special, which often ended in a goal.”
“I confess that I was angry with Pelé, because he always slaughtered my Corinthians. But, above all, I admired him. And the anger quickly gave way to the passion to see him playing with the number 10 shirt of the Brazilian national team.”
“Few Brazilians have carried our country’s name as far as he does. As different from Portuguese as the language was, foreigners from all over the world quickly found a way to pronounce the magic word: ‘Pelé’.”
Deschamps: “Pelé was the alliance of beauty and efficiency”
Didier Deschamps: “With the disappearance of Pelé, football has lost one of its most beautiful legends, if not the most beautiful. Like all legends, the King seemed immortal. He made people dream and continued to make generations and generations of fans of our sport. Who has not dreamed, as a child, of being Pelé? With his number 10, he put his technical virtuosity, his audacity, his creativity at the service of his teams and in particular that of of Brazil with whom he won three World Cups. Pelé was the alliance of beauty and efficiency. His talent and his achievements will remain etched in our memories forever. To his family, loved ones and To the Brazilian people, I send my sincere condolences and all my sympathy. The king will remain the king, forever.”
Hilton: “It was the strongest”
Vitorino Hilton (RMC): “As a Brazilian, I have seen other exceptional players in football. Pelé, I have not seen him play in real life, only on video. But these images are enough to know that he was the strongest.”
Larqué recounts the day he played against the legend “who invented football”
The news fell on Thursday evening and all football fans are bound to have a bleeding heart, whether they knew Pelé or not… The Brazilian legend died at 82. Jean-Michel Larqué saw the King of football play. He even had the opportunity to confront him. He tells this anecdote on RMC.
“We all discovered a fantastic Brazilian team at the 1958 World Cup. Pelé was 17. We wondered how football could be played so well at that age. He had lit up this World Cup with all his quality, all his genius. world, and it was only the beginning of a great adventure. I had the chance to play against him, a few minutes, during the inauguration of the Nocturnes in Colombes, there had been a gala match with a selection of Saint-Etienne and Marseille, in 1971, against Santos. Pelé was in full glory after his third world champion title. There was a small trophy at stake for this gala match. At the end of regulation time, We were tied. Penalties are coming. He’s the first one for Santos. The second one for Santos… again Pelé. We explained to him that we needed five different shooters! He would have good to hit the five! It was a bit like the end of his career, he was 31 years old. It was a genius, he didn’t recite football, he invented football.”
Neymar: ‘Pelé changed everything’
Neymar on Instagram: “Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. I read this sentence somewhere, at some point in my life. But this beautiful sentence is incomplete.
I would say that before Pelé, football was just a sport. Pelé changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to blacks and above all: he gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King!
He is gone, but his magic will remain. Pelé is ETERNAL!”
The LFP adapts its protocol
The LFP adapts its pre-match protocol: a minute of applause will honor the memory of King Pelé just before OM-Toulouse and Nice-Lens (9 p.m.).
Noël Le Graët on BFMTV: “Pelé had everything, he is incomparable”
Noël Le Graët, president of the FFF, on BFMTV: “I admired him, I am a bit his age. He is complete, he is such a respectable man, it is important in life, he has always been beautiful, sincere, respectful. There are no others like that. It is the disappearance of a huge player, there are no others of this level. A tribute from the FFF “From tomorrow we will contact the Brazilian federation, I will send someone to Brazil to be close to his family. You call him King Pelé and you’re right, he had everything: technique, goals, class , elegance is incomparable. A man of his quality who conducts himself in an exemplary manner after a phenomenal and worldwide career, he is a man respected by the whole world. Technically, he is still incomparable today, he is above the rest. His life has been exemplary.”
Cristiano Ronaldo: “A reference of yesterday, today, forever”
“My deepest condolences to all of Brazil, and in particular to the family of Mr. Edson Arantes do Nascimento. A simple ‘goodbye’ to the eternal king Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that grips everyone in football at this moment. An inspiration for so many millions of people, a reference of yesterday, today, forever. The affection he always showed towards me was reciprocal in all the moments we shared, even distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will forever be etched in the memory of all of us football lovers. Rest in peace, King Pelé.”
Emmanuel Macron salutes “The King”
“The Game. The King. Eternity”, wrote on Twitter the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, in reaction to the death of Pelé.
The legend’s last tweet
“Inspiration and love marked the adventure of King Pelé, who died peacefully on this day. Love, love and love, forever.”
“Much more than the greatest sportsman of all time” for the Brazilian Football Federation
“The CBF mourns the passing of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé, this Thursday at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo. Pelé was much more than the greatest sportsman of all time. Our king of football was the greatest exponent of a victorious Brazil, winner who has never been afraid in the face of difficulties. Black boy, poor and born in Three Hearts (“Três Corações”), Pelé showed us that there is always a new path. promised his father a World Cup and presented us with three, in addition to scoring 95 goals in 113 games with the yellow jersey. The king gave us a new Brazil and we can only thank his legacy.”
“All that we are is thanks to you”: the tribute of Pelé’s daughter to her father
A few minutes after the official announcement of the death of King Pelé, his daughter, Kely Nascimento, published on his Instagram account a touching publication in tribute to his father. We see the hands of the Brazilian’s relatives accompanied by a message: “All that we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”
Awards, records, talent… Why Pelé is considered the greatest player in history
King Pelé, who died on Thursday at the age of 82, leaves the mark of the greatest player in the history of football, even half a century after retiring from the field. Between an XXL prize list, shovel records and legendary actions, the Brazilian embodies the history of football.
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A football legend is leaving
The King is no more. Died this Thursday at the age of 82, Pelé leaves the football planet with the status, for many, of the best player in the history of football. The only three-time winner of the World Cup, the Brazilian has multiplied records and left an indelible mark on the game. A portrait of a giant forever remembered.
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Pelé has died at the age of 82
King Pelé died on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at the age of 82, according to several Brazilian media including the daily O Globo. Information confirmed by AFP and the family of the former Seleçao player.