The footballer of the century Pelé is dead. He succumbed to cancer at the age of 82. The football world mourns – and honors “O Rei”, the “King”. The international press also appreciates the exceptional talent.
The football world mourns “King” Pelé: The three-time world champion died on Thursday at the age of 82, as his daughter Kely Nascimento announced on Instagram.
The clinic treating him said Pele died of “multiple organ failure” after a long battle with cancer. The legendary athlete, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. In football-mad Brazil, he was revered as “O Rei,” the king.
Pelé is the only soccer player to win the world title three times – in 1958, 1962 and 1970. The Brazilian government declared a three-day national mourning after Pelé’s death. The coffin of the exceptional footballer who died is to be laid out in the stadium of his long-standing club FC Santos on Monday. Pele’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday.
“There was only one Pele”
The death of the Brazilian national hero triggered great sympathy worldwide. Brazil’s star striker Neymar said Pele “made football an art”. Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo called him an “inspiration to many millions” of people.
This is how the press around the world reacted to the death of the footballer of the century.
“New York Times”, USA: “Pelé was a national hero in his native Brazil and loved around the world – by the poorest among whom he grew up, by the richest among whom he was a part, and by just about everyone who ever saw him play.”
“Washington Post”, USA: “There was only one Pelé. Apart from his unequaled three world championship titles, his creative, acrobatic game, his love of football and his contagious joy made him a global icon.”
“Daily Mirror”, UK: “Seeing Pelé at full speed was the most beautiful sight in football – long before this adjective defined the game. Even today his name stands not only for beauty but also for excellence, breathtaking skill and the highest level of sportsmanship. Long before Maradona , Ronaldo and Messi, there wasn’t even a debate about the greatest footballer of all time. Every fan knew it was Pele and they adored him.”
death at 82
Images of an athlete of the century – you have never seen Pelé like this
“Today is a day of mourning for football”
“The Sun”, UK: “In bright Brazilian yellow on the then new-fangled color television sets, Pelé seemed to have descended from football heaven. It was the 1970 World Cup, and with ballet-like balance, stunning pace and clinical skill he defined what the beautiful game could be.”
“Marca”, Spain: “A football myth is gone. Pelé was one of the best players in history, undoubtedly the best of his time. Today is a day of mourning for football. Rest in peace, ‘O Rei’.”
“El País”, Spain: “The death of Pelé, ‘O Rei’, Brazil’s eternal and international idol, has left his countrymen dejected and nostalgia for the days when Brazil was synonymous with triumph.”
“La Republica”, Italy: “Farewell to Pelé, the master who invented the future. ‘O Rei’ was born in Três Corações, in the southeast of Brazil – three hearts, that says it all.”
Corriere dello Sport, Italy: “The football world is mourning. The incomparable icon of Brazilian and world football has died at the age of 82.”
“With Pelé goes the greatest in history”
“Le Figaro“, France: “Football has lost its king. Pelé was the sun of Brazil. Its warmth, its light, its strength, its joy, its creativity. Its legend spans epochs. The essence of an artist.”
“L’Equipe”, France: “Brazil, a country in shock. The death of Pelé has shaken the country.”
“Kronen-Zeitung”, Austria: “The striker delighted the masses with his technical skills and goal-getting qualities even before football became a live TV mass event and billion-dollar business.”
“Blick”, Switzerland: “Pele is the greatest in history, the first global superstar that football has seen. The quote from Ronald Reagan has been handed down: ‘My name is Ronald Reagan, I am the President of the United States of America. But you need yourself not to introduce, because everyone knows who Pelé is.’ Whether Reagan, Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy, Pope John Paul II or Nelson Mandela, Pelé captivated everyone with his radiant smile.”