Pelé has died of multiple organ failure and this was confirmed as the cause of death for the 82-year-old legend of football, who had battled colon cancer throughout his life.
Sent to the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paolo, since Christmas, he was surrounded by his family and passed last night.
Pele was accompanied by his family on Christmas Eve after being transferred to palliative care earlier in December after his body stopped responding to initial cancer treatment.
Following the death of the man many consider to be the greatest footballer of all time, tributes have poured in from a slew of sporting icons, clubs, and organisations.
Ronaldo, the legendary striker who followed in the footsteps of the three-time World Cup winner, believes Pele’s impact will never fade.
The world has just lost a gem of football but also a gentleman who brought his magic with the ball to the world and mesmerized crowds, if not the entire world, with his magical skills.
Pelé – Highlights of his career
He was one of the most successful and popular sports figures of the twentieth century, regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and dubbed “the greatest” by FIFA.
In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century, and he was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people of the twentieth century.
Pelé was named World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) in 2000, and he was also named FIFA Player of the Century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendlies, is a Guinness World Record.
Pelé the GOAT of Football
Pelé, who averaged nearly a goal per game throughout his career, was skilled at striking the ball with either foot and anticipating his opponents’ movements on the field.
While primarily a striker, he could also drop deep and playmaker, providing assists with his vision and passing ability, as well as going past opponents with his dribbling skills.
In Brazil, he was hailed as a national hero for his football achievements and outspoken support for policies that improve the social conditions of the poor. His breakthrough at the 1958 World Cup, where he became the first black global sporting star, served as an inspiration.
Pelé received numerous individual awards throughout his career and after his retirement.
Football is a worldwide sport which is enjoyed by all the age groups, across the globe. Over the years the sport has gained its status in India as well. There are many young adults who want to pursue football as their career. To be a footballer isn’t easy, it requires rigorous training and you have a follow certain conduct. There are many league which are played under this sport.
Football has become diverse now, their are tournaments which are taking place for boys and girls under the age of 19 on a look for new talents. Women are also given the opportunity in this sport. As we speak about football, the players are the essence pf the sport. The sportsmen have gained a lot of support and love from their fans. To maintain such rapport with the audience one must ensure that they keep on training and do not loose their form. So here we present to you the best football player of all time.
Who is the best Footballer, all you need to know?
As we know that with the current scenarios to name just one person as the best is not easy. there are many footballers who have excelled individually in their respective roles, such as as a goal keeper, as forward or as a front-back. Some have also been given special recognition depending on the performance which was showcased.
Currently, on the basis of recent performances Lionel Messi is given the spot as the best football player of all time. One must take a note that the list keeps on changing depending on the changing formats and the performance of the players, the entries and exits. Messi is a player from Argentina who has earned the Ballon d’Or six times and the Golden Shoe six times. His achievements include, 35 major trophies for Barcelona, including four UEFA Champions Leagues, seven Copa del Reys, and 10 La Ligas.
Brazilian football players pose on April 28, 1963 at Colombes before the match France vs Brazil. Brazilian champion Pelé smiles kneeling behind the board. The Brazil team : Gilmar, Djalma Santos, Eduardo, Roberto Dias, Altair, Zito, Gerson, Marcos, Nei, Pelé, Pepe, Aymoré Moreira. – The Brazilian team, double world champion, played for the first time in France and Pele scored all 3 goals for his team which wins the match 3-2. (Photo by – / AFP)
Pele- world’s greatest football player of all time.
No matter how many time we change the list of the current football players ranking, we cannot leave behind the man himself, Pele who introduced to us the importance of the sport. He was a former Brazilian professional footballer, who began his career in 1953 playing as a forward. He was given the recognition as the all-time top scorers of the FIFA World Cup.
In the year 1999, the International Olympic Committee named Pele, Athlete of the Century. He is one of the few players who has a Guinness World Record. Countless awards, titles, Pele had gained himself the respect and love not only by his fellow countrymen but also people watch9ng him play on the field. He has earned titles like, the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, the Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur, and the South American Footballer of the Year. In all he has played 1279 games and in total scored 1363 goals.
The unfortunate news that Pele had a tumour removed last year, and currently he is in palliative care in Brazil. This means that he has moved to “end-of-life care.” Many are upset as Pele is still remembered by many for broking many records during his time as a footballer.
Just when Brazil started their World Cup campaign he posted a few words of kindness on Instagram. “Today we start writing a new story. No matter the size and tradition of the opponents: we must respect and play each match with the focus of a final.”
“It is important to play beautifully, yes, but it is also essential to leave everything on the pitch. “Today, we will be more than 200 million hearts beating as one, vibrating with each achievement of our Selecao.
“I am sending all positive energies to you. I’m sure we’ll have a happy ending. God bless you. Bring this trophy home!”
Fan reaction towards Pele’s declining health
Everything you see your favourite player doing, Pelé did it first.
On Twitter, he has been dubbed as the “King of Football.” There was another photo where he held three World Cup trophies. He shocked the world with his skills when he was younger and even today, his records are still almost unbeaten.
Fans stated that he is the true greatest of all time as he was light years ahead of the current players that we have today. A comparison between Pele and Messi is that when Pele was 35, he had won three World Cups, while Messi is still chasing his, claimed a fan.
Qatar has lit up the torch tower in respect for the footballer. Some fans were unhappy at the “get well soon” message as they felt that it was inappropriate. Others defended Qatar in writing hopes that he would get well soon as it is better than anticipating his death.
Some comments say Pele is no better than the younger generation of players. However, the backlash they got over such a remark is uncanny. Older football fans educated the younger ones stating that during Pele’s time, footballers were at their peak and Brazil was playing with 100% of their players and still managed to win three World Cups.
The sad passing of Pele has brought up the thought of the two legends in football and their respective achievements. Back then, there could only be one legend at a time, this is a stark contrast to today’s football where we have Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and even David Beckham.
It also needs reminding that Maradona has also sadly passed in the year 2020, at the age of 60-years-old. An era has gone with the passing of these two legends as a number of people grew up looking to them as inspiration to get through the day.
Diego Maradona and Pelé are widely considered two of the greatest soccer players of all time. Both players had successful careers and made significant contributions to the sport.
One key difference between the two players is the time period in which they played.
Pelé played in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, while Maradona played in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. This means that they played in different eras and against different levels of competition.
Their playing style is another key difference between the two legends. Maradona was renowned for his inventiveness and dribbling prowess, but Pelé was known for his technical proficiency and ability to score goals. Pelé was renowned for his sportsmanship and humility, whilst Maradona was known for his tenacity and leadership on the pitch.
Regardless of their differences in era and playing styles, they both have individual separate fan bases that would still hype them up until today.
How many goals has Pele and Maradona scored
(FILES) In this file photo taken on June 8, 1990 Argentinian forward Diego Maradona (C) juggles with the ball as he runs past Cameroon’s Benjamin Massing during the World Cup opening football match between Cameroon and Argentina in Milan. (Photo by DANIEL GARCIA / AFP)
Pelé is widely considered one of the greatest goalscorers in soccer history. During his career, he scored a total of 1279 goals in 1363 games. This includes goals scored in official matches and friendlies.
We have yet to see today’s players to beat that score, depending on the measurements and the different data that are available. However, the closest are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Some are suggesting that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland might come around to the scores of these legends soon.
Maradona also had a successful career and scored a significant number of goals. However, it is difficult to determine an exact number because records of his goals are not complete. According to some sources, Maradona scored a total of 259 goals in club and international matches. However, this number may not include all of his goals, as records from some of his early matches are not available.
It is important to note that the number of goals scored by a player does not necessarily reflect their overall ability or impact on the sport. Both Pelé and Maradona made significant contributions to soccer beyond just their goalscoring record.
The trophies that they won
During Pele’s career, he won numerous trophies and awards, including three FIFA World Cups with the Brazilian national team. At the club level, Pelé won numerous domestic league titles and cups with Santos FC in Brazil.
Maradona also had a successful career and won numerous trophies. With the Argentine national team, he won the FIFA World Cup in 1986, and he also won numerous domestic league titles and cups with clubs in Argentina, Italy, and Spain.
Image of Diego Maradona in 1986, from Wikipedia.
It is important to note that the number of trophies a player has won does not necessarily reflect their overall ability or impact on the sport. Both Pelé and Maradona made significant contributions to soccer beyond their trophy collection.
Were there any rivalries between pele and maradona?
There is some evidence to suggest that Pelé and Maradona had a personal rivalry. For the most part, the two players have spoken highly of each other in the past and have expressed respect for each other’s abilities in a professional manner.
There were numerous times where they might have said certain things in the media about one and another.
Image of Pele in 1968, from Wikipedia.
According to Reuters, one of them was Pele calling Maradona a “bad example” due to his drug addiction back in the day. Another one where Maradona stated about Pele, “As a player he was great… but he thinks politically.”
To sum up, Pele thought Maradona as vulgar and undignified and Maradona thought Pele was a sell-out.
Pelé and Maradona played in different eras, so they did not have the opportunity to face each other in official matches. However, they were both influential figures in the sport of soccer and are often compared to each other due to their status as two of the greatest players in history.
The FIFA World Cup has been around for 92 years and has constantly been in the centre of attention. This is due to the fact that football is a major sporting event celebrated by billions of fans worldwide. Yes, the World Cup is no stranger to controversies, but it is still an event that unites all football players around the world.
There are numerous disputes on who scored the best, or the most goals in FIFA’s long history. It has been said that over 2,000 goals have been scored in the 21 editions of the final matches in the World Cup, and the first person to ever score a World Cup goal was a Frenchman named Lucien Laurent.
Furthermore, in the top five best scorers, there isn’t an active footballer in the list. Maybe after this year’s World Cup, we might see either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi step up in the list, to leave their mark as our generation’s greatest players.
The list was created by 90 minutes, and the players in the top five will not shock you but instead bring you back to a sense of nostalgia.
Number 5: Pele
Image of Pele in 1981, from Wikipedia.
The Brazilian national has scored 12 goals in the World Cup, it might not be seen as plenty but it is considerably a lot, especially due to the amount of matches and the four year gaps in between. He participated in 14 games.
Pele started his career in football with Santos at the age of 15-years-old then, represented Brazil at the tender age of 16, and has won three FIFA World Cups, 1958, 1962 and 1970. For a Black man from that era, he was definitely revolutionary and created shockwaves all over the world with his impressive skills.
Furthermore, he was hailed as a national hero in Brazil. He lifted his country’s name for the world to recognise. At 82-years-old, the record breaking man is still alive and strong.
Number 4: Just Fontaine
Image of Just Fontaine in 1958, from Wikipedia.
Frenchmen are always stars in the World Cup and Fontaine is no exception. The Frenchman scored 13 goals in one World Cup. He participated in six games and set the record all the way back in 1958.
Fontaine, born in Morocco to a French father and a Spanish mother, started his career at USM Casablanca in 1950. He must have been 17-years-old at the time. He debuted for France in 1953 and scored a hat-trick against Luxembourg.
Similar to Pele, Fontaine is still strong and kicking at the age of 89-years-old. Furthermore, he was named by Pele to be one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Number 3: Gerd Muller
Image of Gerd Muller in 1973, image from Wikipedia.
The German player, Gerd Muller has participated in 13 games and has scored 14 times. He began his football career with TSV 1861 Nördlingen and later on he would join Bayern Munich when he was 18-years-old in 1964.
Furthermore, he had the record for the most scores in the Bundesliga games for their 1971-1972 season. That record was only beaten recently by Lewandowski just last season with just one more score.
Unfortunately, the World Cup legend passed away at the age of 75-years-old in 2021. He was plagued with Alzheimer disease.
Number 2: Ronaldo
Image of Ronaldo in 2002, from Wikipedia.
Not to be confused with the Portuguese G.O.A.T Cristiano Ronaldo, this is the Brazilian Ronaldo. He has scored 15 goals in 19 games. He moved to PSV in 1994 at the young age of 18-years-old and was hailed as a young superstar.
He won the Copa America in 1997 and won the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Furthermore, he is now the owner of Real Valladolid. It is rare to see a former footballer owning clubs after they have stopped playing.
He is still alive and well now at only 46-years-old, one of the younger ones on the list. Who knows what football related business he might venture in next.
Number 1: Miroslav Klose
Image of Miroslav Klose in 2006, from Wikipedia.
For the number one spot, the German Miroslav Klose hits the spot. He has participated in 24 games and scored 16 goals in all of his FIFA World Cup participations. He took home the golden boot in 2006.
Klose started his career with FC Homburg at 20-years-old. He later joined Bayern Munich, similar to Gerd Muller. He retired from the German national team after the 2014 World Cup.
He is currently the youngest player on the list at only 44-years-old.
There is some anticipation of our current top players climbing in the World Cup. It would be interesting to see decades from now on the number of scores that Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland would have under their belts.
The fight between fanclubs of the two biggest football rivals just got a new ball of fire in their gas tank. Apparently, the former Barcelona player Gerard Pique made a statement saying that he always liked Cristiano Ronaldo better than Lionel Messi.
The former centre-back has done a number of accomplishments himself as he had a long and wonderful football career, retiring at the age of 35-years-old. The handsome Spaniard represented his home country 102 times since he joined in 2009.
Furthermore, he played an important part in winning for Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He joined Manchester United in 2004, which is where Cristiano Ronaldo is currently at but since he joined them at a young age, there were no purchase fees.
Gerard Pique’s alleged statement was, “Now that I’m no longer at Barcelona I can easily say Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player ever. He’s always been better than Messi.”
Fan viewpoints about Pique’s “statement”
On a Facebook fan page, the statement was uploaded garnering thousands of engagements from fans. He got some backlash there as fans stated “I think you need to see a doctor” and provided the facts which were, Messi has 41 trophies, 7 ballon d’ors and 6 golden boots.
Manchester United’s Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo looks on during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England, on October 30, 2022. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
Messi is no mean feat when compared to Ronaldo, and others were saying that Pique has no right to judge the Argentinian. Others who dislike Ronaldo went on a rampage bashing both the Portuguese and the Spaniard.
In this file photo taken on September 27, 2022 Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates his goal during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Jamaica at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Andres Kudacki / AFP)
Fans were also claiming that the post was “fake news” and that Pique did not actually say that. However, he has played with both players in his entire career, firstly during his time at Manchester United with Ronaldo and next in Barcelona with Messi.
On Twitter, the bashing of Ronaldo proceeded. Messi fans were “triggered” , a term that the Gen-Zs frequently use. They claim that Ronald fans would always make fake quotes from prominent figures to prove that Ronaldo is the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T).
A new term has been coined for Ronaldo fans which are “penaldogs.” It seems a little disrespectful to the award winning Portuguese player.
It appears that the statement is a hoax, and currently there are no verifiable news sources that are talking about this. However, there are news reports of Pique talking about both players in an equal light.
Pique’s actual statement
According to GiveMeSports, Pique did make a statement about both legends, and he was still skewed towards Ronaldo.
“I think that they are both amazing,” Pique stated. “We are talking about two of the best players, not just in the world but the history of this sport.”
“I always said that Messi has some talent that no one else has. I mean, he has the ball and his speed controlling the ball. The ball doesn’t go two metres far from his foot, it’s always there. It’s impossible to catch him, this talent I didn’t see from anyone.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is such a different player, they are very different. He is tall, strong, and he’s really complete. He can do anything. He can score goals with the head, free-kicks, penalties, and take one on one.
“But for me it’s like Messi is not human but Cristiano is the best of the humans.”
