Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
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Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great, Chosen by us to get you up to speed at a glancePele’s obituaryJim White on the greatest of them all’s Sporting Legend’Ronaldo, Messi, Bolt, and Haaland reacts to story behind the name how Edson Arantes do Nascimento became Pele watch the life and times of Pele Presidents, celebrities, and football legends past and present have paid heartfelt tributes to Pelé, who was described by the Brazilian Football Confederation as “the greatest sportsman of all time. Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
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Lionel Messi, the finest player of the modern generation and Argentina’s new World Cup-winning captain, posted photographs on Instagram of himself with the Brazilian icon. “Rest in peace, Pelé,” Messi wrote. Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
Sir Bobby Charlton, England’s greatest ever player, said that Pelé “was a truly magical footballer and a wonderful human being” with whom it was “an honor to have shared a pitch”.
As well as being the only player in football history to win the World Cup three times, Pele’s influence as the most recognizable celebrated personality in Brazilian history was hailed following his death at the age of 82.
“For a sport that brings the world together like no other, Pelé’s rise from humble beginnings to soccer legend is a story of what is possible. Today, Jill and I’s thoughts are with his family and all those who loved him,” said United States president Joe Biden. Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
“Pelé was one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game and, as one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together,” said former United States president Barack Obama.
The English Football Association lit the Wembley arch in the colors of the Brazilian flag.
“Everyone who loves football, loves Pelé,” said an FA statement. “His unique talent lit up the game and inspired football. Our thoughts are with his family, the Brazil Football Confederation, and the Brazilian people.” Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
Sir Geoff Hurst, who was in the England team with Charlton that was beaten 1-0 by Pelé’s Brazil at the 1970 World Cup, said that he was “without doubt the best footballer I ever played against” and still “the greatest player of all time.
“I was proud to be on the pitch with him – RIP Pelé and thank you,” said Hurst, who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final. Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
Neymar, who has succeeded Pelé in the iconic Brazil No.10 shirt, said: “Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. Before Pelé, football was just a sport. Pelé has changed it all. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, and to the blacks, and, especially, he gave visibility to Brazil. He’s gone but his magic remains.”
Pelé’s former club, FC Santos simply posted a crown with the word: “Eterno (eternal)”, while the Brazilian Football Confederation gave thanks for his legacy.
“The King of Soccer was the ultimate exponent of a victorious Brazil, never afraid of any difficulty,” said a statement. “A black, poor boy born in Tres Coracoes, Pelé showed us that there is always a new path. He promised his father he would win a World Cup and he won us three.” Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
Current football greats, including Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, also paid personal tributes. “A simple goodbye to the eternal King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that hits the entire world of football at this moment,” said Ronaldo. “The affection he has always shown for me was reciprocal in every moment we shared. He will never be forgotten and his memory will last forever in each and every one of us football lovers. Rest in peace, King Pelé.” Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
Kylian Mbappe who, with Pelé, is the only teenager to both score in and win a World Cup final, said: “The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.”
Gary Lineker, the former England captain, described Pelé as “the most divine of footballers and joyous of men”.
He added: “He played a game only a few chosen ones have come close to. Three times he lifted the most coveted gold trophy in that beautiful yellow shirt. He may have left us but he’ll always have footballing immortality. RIP Pele.” Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
Germany’s World Cup-winning captain and manager Franz Beckenbauer, who played with Pelé later in his career at New York Cosmos, said: “Today, football lost the greatest man in its history – and I lost a unique friend.”
Tributes also poured in from outside sport, including the France president Emmanuel Macron who simply tweeted the words: “Le Jeu (The Game). Le Roi (The King). L’Eternite (Eternity)” and Brazil’s president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“He went to be in heaven with Coutinho, his great partner at Santos,” said Lula. “He now has the company of so many eternal stars: Didi, Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Sócrates, Maradona. He left one certainty: there has never been a number 10 like him. Thank you, Pele.” Pele dies aged 82 Lionel Messi Sir Bobby Charlton and Joe Biden lead tributes to Brazil footballing great
