Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pele, the Brazilian who has long been considered the greatest footballer of all time, has died at the age of 82.
The legendary figure, a man who transcended his sport and was a global icon, learned that his colon cancer had advanced on December 21 and was told he would be kept in hospital over Christmas – with the iconic forward needing treatment for cardiac and renal dysfunction.
Previously he had been admitted to the hospital on November 30 with swelling all over his body and ‘decompensated heart failure’ before passing away a month after receiving palliative care.
According to reports, the former footballer was reportedly struggling to eat. Medics looked at the likelihood of him having a hepatic encephalopathy – a nervous system disorder brought on by the severe liver disease.
His wife implied his hospital visit was only for his standard chemotherapy and check-ups. His daughter Kely Nascimento insisted there was no need for alarm and that there was ‘no surprise or emergency’ involved with her father being in hospital.
The Brazilian soccer legend won three World Cups and became the sport’s first global icon.
