Born on October 23,1940,in the small Minas Gerais town of Tres Corações,or “Three Hearts”,Pelé learnt the game from his father,a semi-professional player whose promising career was derailed by a knee injury.
Paying tribute to his hero,Brazil’s Neymar said in an Instagram post that Pelé had given voice to the poor,to black people,and especially gave visibility to his country.
Barack Obama too hailed Pelé’s understanding of the power of sport to bring people together.
When FIFA,football’s international governing body,sought to name the greatest player of the 20th century,an internet poll gave the title to Diego Maradona,while a panel of journalists,officials and coaches chose Pelé. FIFA named them joint winners of the award.
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Pelé,who popularised football’s nickname as the “beautiful game,” had his own view.
“People talk about the best being Pelé or Diego Maradona,but for me the best player ever was Alfredo Di Stefano,” Pelé said of the Argentina-born former Real Madrid forward.
Pelé’s gregarious nature and modest temperament helped make him an ambassador for Brazil. “The flag of Brazil is Pelé,” said Ricardo Trade,the chief executive officer of Brazil’s local organising committee for the 2014 World Cup. “Pelé is very important for us and for our football.”
Retired Brazilian star player Zico,who only on Wednesday,attended a celebrity game in Brazil wearing a “Eternal Pelé” T-shirt,said:“This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There’s only one possible answer:Pelé. He’s the greatest player of all time,and by some distance,I might add.”
Those who encountered him throughout the years,sang his praise.
“To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full,” the late Nelson Mandela once said.
Whereas the late pop artist Andy Warhol declared:“Pelé was one of the few who contradicted my theory:instead of 15 minutes of fame,he will have 15 centuries.”
Barack Obama too hailed Pelé’s understanding of the power of sport to bring people together.
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Pelé had suffered from a series of health issues in recent years,including hip surgery that left him with recurring pain and trouble walking unaided. He reduced his public appearances,but remained active on social media.
He is survived by six known children. A seventh,whom he didn’t recognise as his own for years,died of cancer in 2006.
The stadium in Vila Belmiro,home ground to Santos,where Pelé played most matches of his career will hold his funeral and vigil.
Santos said his coffin would leave Albert Einstein Hospital early on Monday morning and be placed in the centre of the field to allow fans to visit until Tuesday.
It will then be carried through the streets of Santos and will pass in front of the home of his 100-year-old mother,Celeste. Recent reports in Brazilian media say she cannot leave her bed and is not lucid.
President Jair Bolsonaro whose last day on the job is on Saturday,before theinauguration of Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on January 1,has declared three days of mourning.
Reuters,Bloomberg,staff writer
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