The Christ the Redeemer statue is illuminated in the colors of the Brazilian national flag to honor Pelé in Rio de Janeiro. The soccer legend died Thursday at age 82.
A man walks his dog past a mural of Brazilian soccer stars Pele, left, and Garrincha in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to the world as Pele, died in Sao Paulo Thursday at the age of 82. On Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema beach, the news broke when Paulo Vinicius was playing soccer with his 9-year-old nephew.
“Pelé represents the best of Brazil: its people, its working class,” said Vinicius, 38, a physical-education instructor. “Pelé gives a sense of identity to the Brazilian people.” In the coastal city of Santos, where Pelé made his name, Nicolas Oliveira, 18, was outside the stadium along with roughly 200 others. Oliveira said even replays of Pelé’s sensational playing make him swell with emotion.
“Pelé is a Black man from the interior of Minas Gerais state,” Oliveira said. “I’m here because of what he did, for the soccer he played, for the soccer he improved and for the future players he helped mold and inspire.” Everton Luz, a 41-year-old lawyer, was crying outside the hospital with a Santos club flag wrapped around him. He had come directly from work to pay tribute to the player whose performances had electrified his own dad, and prompted decades of stories.Luz recounts those stories to his own two children, and shows them videos of the idol. He recalled seeing Pelé in person once, watching a game at a stadium.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brazil and the world mourn: There was only one PeléIn Brazil, where divisions after an acrimonious presidential election in October still linger, bitter political rivals were united in grief. As the world reacted to the death of the soccer giant, Pelé was a singular, transformative figure.
Read more »
Pelé, world soccer legend, dies at 82 in BrazilWidely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest players, Pelé spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team.
Read more »
Pelé, Global Soccer Star Who Led Brazil to Three World Cup Wins, Dies at 82During a career that set new standards for goal scoring and individual virtuosity, Pelé came to redefine the meaning of global sports celebrity and established Brazil as the supreme power of the world’s most popular game.
Read more »
Pele's funeral and burial to take place in hometown SantosThe stadium where Brazilian soccer great Pelé played some of the best matches of his career will also hold his funeral on Monday and Tuesday. Santos, the club where Pelé played in Brazil, said in a statement the public will be able to pay their final respects at Vila Belmiro Stadium, outside Sao Paulo. Pelé, whose full name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, died Thursday after a long battle with cancer.
Read more »
Sports stars from Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo mourn soccer's PeléThe death of the original soccer G.O.A.T. Pelé has been mourned across the sporting world and beyond.
Read more »
RIP Pelé: Brazilian legend remembered as the king of soccerRIP legend: Pelé honored as the 'greatest of all time' and the 'king of soccer' by football clubs and sports fans around the world.
Read more »