Pelé, one of the most famous soccer players of all time, has died. He was 82 years old. According to the Associated Press, Pelé died on Thursday after battling colon cancer since last year. He had been hospitalized for the last month with multiple ailments. His agent, Joe Fraga, confirmed his death.
According to multiple reports, Pelé was moved to palliative care in early December. He was receiving care in an end-of-life hospital treatment after his treatment for his bowel cancer stopped working. According to Folha de S. Paulo, Pelé was receiving treatment to relieve pain and shortness of break without using invasive therapies.
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Kelly Nascimento, Pelé’s daughter, gave an update on her father’s condition. “Lots of alarm in the media today concerning my dad’s health,” she wrote. “He is in the hospital regulating medication. There is no emergency or new dire prediction. I will be there for New Year’s and promise to post some pictures.”
It was reported in December 2021 that Pelé was hospitalized for chemotherapy treatment of a colon tumor. In an Instagram post, Pelé wrote: “When the path is difficult, celebrate each step of the journey. Focus on your happiness. It’s true that I can’t jump anymore, but these past few days, I’ve been punching the air more times than usual. Thanks also to all of you, who from afar, make my life complete with so many messages of love.”
Pelé played for the Brazilian club team Santos from 1956-1974 and the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League from 1975-1977. He was also a member of the Brazil national team from 1957-1971 and led the team to three World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970). As a member of Santos, Pelé helped the club win six Campeonato Brasileiro Série A championships and two International Cup titles. And in 1977 Pelé won the North American League Soccer Bowl with the Cosmos.
In his career, Pelé played in 1,363 matches (including friendlies) and scored 1,279 goals, which is a Guinness World Record. In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International of Football History & Statistics and was named FIFA Player of the Century with Diego Maradona.
In a 2014 interview with the Harvard Business Review, Pelé was asked if he looked at himself as a leader during his soccer career. “I never wanted to be a leader. But everybody knows my history,” he said. “It came naturally. All the focus was on me. I just tried to pass on my best to the other players, to tell them what I thought was important in my life. We had our coaches off the field, and I had very good relationships with them because they gave me the freedom to work. But sometimes the field is so big they can’t talk to the players, so you have to help pass the message, organize the team, be the leader.”
