Pelé, one of the world’s most well-known soccer players, has died at age 82. Kely Nascimento, his daughter, confirmed the Brazilian sports icon’s death on Instagram.
“Everything we are is because of you,” she wrote. “We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in 1940, the athlete was better known by his childhood nickname Pelé. He started his soccer career at Santos FC (football club) at age 15, and he started playing on the Brazilian national team just one year after that. Over the course of an extremely successful career, Pelé accumulated three World Cup victories, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, a record that has yet to be bested. He’s generally regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time.
A inspiração e o amor marcaram a jornada de Rei Pelé, que faleceu no dia de hoje.
Amor, amor e amor, para sempre.
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Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today.Love, love and love, forever. pic.twitter.com/CP9syIdL3i
— Pelé (@Pele) December 29, 2022
Pelé might be best known for his prowess on the pitch, but the star athlete went on to do many other great things over the years. In 1992, he became a UN ambassador for the environment. He was appointed a Unesco Goodwill Ambassador in 1994, and he was given an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. In 2018, he founded the Pelé Foundation with the goal of helping impoverished youth around the world.
In September, Pelé underwent surgery to remove a colon tumor. According to NBC News, he was admitted to the hospital last month “to regulate medication for an infection.”
