Pele, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, died at the age of 82.
The three-time World Cup champion received a colon cancer diagnosis in September 2021 and was admitted at the Albert Einstein hospital in Morumbi, Sao Paulo, on November 29, this year.
Pele was also being treated in the hospital for a respiratory ailment.
Pele had been in and out of hospital after the diagnosis. He had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021 and in February of this year for further treatment which was complicated by a urinary tract infection.
His agent Joe Fraga confirmed his death, attributed to multiple organ failure as a result of his cancer, on Thursday evening, with the hospital confirming he had died at 3.27pm local time.
Pele announced himself on the world stage as a 17-year-old, playing a pivotal role as Brazil won their first World Cup in 1958 with a 5-2 victory over Sweden in the final.
Pele scored twice in that game and six times overall; he remains the youngest player to score in a World Cup final and the youngest to record a hat-trick in the competition’s history.
Brazilian legend Pelé has passed away at 82, one of the greatest of all time who changed the game.
A man with a god-given talent, one of the names who will remain forever in the memory.
All thoughts with the family.
RIP, legend 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/xxndio7gmM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 29, 2022
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By the time the next World Cup in Chile came around in 1962, Pele was regarded as the best player in the world and although injury restricted him to just one appearance, he earned a second winners’ medal after his team-mates beat Czechoslovakia in the final.
Pele completed a hat-trick of World Cup triumphs in 1970, scoring the opener in the final against Italy before providing the assist for Carlos Alberto’s memorable strike that made it 4-1.
No other player in history has won three World Cups.
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