Brazilian football legend Pele dies aged 82 following cancer battle
Brazilian football legend Pele has died in hospital following a battle with colon cancer aged 82.
The three-time World Cup winner, who is widely regarded as one of the best to have ever played the game, had been undergoing treatment for cancer since 2021 and had been hospitalised for the last month with multiple ailments.
He remains up there with names such as Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo as the best to have ever played the game - and was dubbed by Brazilian fans as The King.
He was introduced on a world stage at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden at the age of just 17 - the youngest player to ever turn out at the tournament.
He netted two goals in a 5-1 win in the final - then after playing just two games in the 1962 victory he was the poster boy for the 1970 triumph in Mexico. Pele scored in the final and set up Carlos Alberto for the final goal of a 4-1 win over Italy.
There are different accounts of Pele's total goals - with figures ranging from anywhere between 650 league goals and 1,281 goals, including all senior matches and some low level competitions.
A number of former players have paid tribute to the Brazilian, including Gary Lineker who called the striker a 'divine footballer and joyous man'.
Pele's daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram: "We are thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace."
Nascimento, who had posted before Christmas that members of Pele's family would spend the holiday period in the hospital with him, added three heartbroken emojis.
