- Pele Dies at 82.
- Football star, Pele is Dead.
Pele, hailed by many as the greatest football player ever, had been struggling with health problems lately. At the 2018 World Cup, he was photographed using a wheelchair. A month later, he was admitted to the hospital after passing out from tiredness.
He had undergone surgery to remove a tumor from his colon in September 2021 and had been receiving regular medical care ever since, but he had been readmitted to the hospital around the end of 2022. Pele’s health did not get any better, and, as his family acknowledged, he remained in the hospital in Sao Paulo throughout the 2022 World Cup and then for Christmas.
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Before his passing was officially announced on December 29, Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento had been giving the world regular updates on her father throughout the month as news of his illness spread.
Pele retired football, having won three World Cups – and currently remains the only player to do so – and is still Brazil’s top scorer with 77 goals from his 92 caps. Pele reportedly scored over 1200 goals throughout his illustrious playing career, including friendlies and tours of the world, while inspiring the next generation of football with his undeniable talent and flair that was endlessly ahead of its time.