Brazil football icon and three-time World Cup winner Pelé has passed away at the age of 82, his agent Joe Fraga confirmed. The former striker was undergoing treatment at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“All that we are is thanks to you,” his daughter, Kely Nascimento, wrote on social media. “We love you endlessly. Rest in peace.”
Pelé passed away from multiple organ failures as a result of the progression of colon cancer that he had been suffering from over the past few years. His funeral will be on Monday and Tuesday when his casket is set to be carried through the streets of Santos, the city where his career started.
The funeral procession will take place at Santos’ Vila Belmiro Stadium outside Sao Paulo, where he has been widely stated to have played some of his best games.
Outgoing Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro has declared three days of mourning for the footballing icon, calling Pelé “a great citizen and patriot, raising the name of Brazil wherever he went.”
For over two decades, Pelé was the most prolific scorer of the Brazilian club Santos. With 77 international goals, Pelé remains the all-time leading scorer for the Brazilian national team.
