Pelé statue in Três Corações, his hometown. Photo: Fagner Martins/Shutterstock
A figure so beloved, so respected, and so famous that his death would be marked by NASA, which tweeted a picture of a spiral galaxy in the colors of the Brazilian flag. This was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé, the King of Football, who passed away on Thursday after a battle with colon cancer.
Tributes flooded in from around the world, inside and outside of football. In the first hour after his death was announced, over 560 million posts from 113 countries inundated Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram — according to a monitoring study by pollster Quaest.
We mark the passing of the legendary Pelé, known to many as the king of the “beautiful game.” This image of a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor shows the colors of Brazil. pic.twitter.com/sOYfKdTeAJ
— NASA (@NASA) December 29, 2022
Here, we have gathered the responses, dedications, and memories of some of the globe’s most famous figures.
“I had the privilege that younger Brazilians never had: I saw Pelé play live at the Pacaembu and Morumbi stadiums. Not play, I saw Pelé give a show. Because when he got the ball, he always did something special that often ended in a goal.
I confess that I was angry at Pelé, because he always massacred my Corinthians team. But, above all, I admired him. And that anger gave way to passion, seeing him play with the number ten shirt of the Brazilian national team.
Few Brazilians have taken the name of our country as far as him. Even if Portuguese was different from their language, foreigners from the four corners of the planet did their best to pronounce the magic word: ‘Pelé.'”
Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
“We regret the passing of a man who, through football, took the name of Brazil to the world. He transformed football into art and joy.
May God comfort his family and welcome him in his infinite mercy.”
Outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
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