
<p>Pelé, one of the most recognizable athletes in history, died on Thursday. The three-time World Cup winner is a legend of more than just soccer. He was 82.</p>



<p>For some time, Pelé’s health deteriorated. Most recently, he had issues regarding colon cancer. <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/pele-health-condition-worsens-spending-christmas-in-hospital-20221222-WST-413232.html">He spent Christmas in a hospital</a> in Brazil surrounded by his loved ones. His official Twitter account played a part in announcing the legend’s passing on Thursday.</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="pt" dir="ltr">A inspiração e o amor marcaram a jornada de Rei Pelé, que faleceu no dia de hoje.<br><br>Amor, amor e amor, para sempre.<br>.<br>Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today.<br><br>Love, love and love, forever. <a href="https:\/\/t.co/CP9syIdL3i">pic.twitter.com/CP9syIdL3i</a></p>— Pelé (@Pele) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/Pele/status/1608543008332615682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Always a beacon of happiness, Pelé embodied the enjoyment of the game. He spent the vast majority of his career at Santos. He spent 18 seasons with Santos before concluding his <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/pele-leaves-behind-an-everlasting-soccer-legacy-in-america-20221229-WST-413799.html">playing days with the New York Cosmos</a>. In many ways, he brought unseen attention to American soccer. Home games involving Pelé averaged attendance figures just shy of 45,000, topping out at over 70,000. Prior to his arrival, New York Cosmos had a highest attendance of just over 8,000.</p>



<p>However, it is Pelé’s international career that makes him stand out among the greats of the game. The Brazilian appeared in four World Cups. Remarkably, he won three. To be fair, he only played two games in the 1962 World Cup that Brazil won. Regardless, he remains the only player to win three World Cups.</p>



<p>Part of Pelé’s acclaim is that he won the 1958 World Cup as a 17-year-old. His first of two goals in the Final against Sweden is one of the most famous goals in history, as he dinked it over the defender before volleying home for Brazil’s third.</p>



<h2>Present and former players send love to Pelé after death</h2>



<p><a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/ErlingHaaland/status/1608559112882905088" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Erling Haaland</a>, <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/Pschmeichel1/status/1608559877059940352" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peter Schmeichel</a>, <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/KMbappe/status/1608544190228750342" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kylian Mbappé</a> and more stated how the game as it is played now comes as a result of Pelé’s actions as a trailblazer. As stated, much of Pelé’s persona revolved around <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/MenInBlazers/status/1608553063479910400" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">love and enjoyment</a> of the game. That is the message he left in his legacy. </p>



<p>Even teams he did not play for understand the Brazilian’s impact on the sport’s history. <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/1608542552340271106" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FC Barcelona</a>, <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/acmilan/status/1608541325636538369" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milan</a>, <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/ManCity/status/1608543846283022336" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Manchester City</a> and, of course, Santos paid homage to ‘King’ Pelé.</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="pt" dir="ltr">Obrigado, Rei Pelé. <a href="https:\/\/t.co/2Xb7XElR41">pic.twitter.com/2Xb7XElR41</a></p>— Santos FC (@SantosFC) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/SantosFC/status/1608562649280675841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>The death of Pelé is one of the great losses in the soccer world’s community. His reach goes far beyond just tournaments, leagues, games or goals. He was, and will continue to be, the king of the beautiful game.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / PA Images</em></p>


Pelé, the Brazilian legend who won three World Cups and shapes the future of the game, succumbed to death relating to colon cancer.

Pelé, three-time World Cup winner and soccer icon, dies at 82

RIP PELÉ, 1940-2022

destacadas

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<p><a title="Numerous" href="http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1246047/Robinho-2m-quit-Manchester-City-Santos.html" target="_blank">Numerous</a> <a title="reports" href="http:\/\/www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premiership/robinho-to-swap-manchester-city-for-santos-14651474.html" target="_blank">reports</a> <a title="have" href="http:\/\/www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-with-jones24-2010jan24,0,7867721.story" target="_blank">have</a> one-time wunderkind Robinho fleeing Manchester City for Santos, the legendary Sao Paolo club where his career began. The loan deal could see Santos youngsters&nbsp;<a title="Paulo Henrique Ganso" href="http:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf8ZIPMffAw&amp;feature=PlayList&amp;p=73A5BE7D358DD5CC&amp;playnext=1&amp;playnext_from=PL&amp;index=21" target="_blank">Paulo Henrique Ganso</a> or&nbsp;<a title="Neymar" href="http:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v3YWuYdMjI" target="_blank">Neymar</a> don sky blue. Manager Roberto Mancini has stated that, while concerned about a lack of depth at forward, he&nbsp;<a title="would not stand in Robinho&apos;s way" href="http:\/\/soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=730967&amp;cc=5901" target="_blank">would not stand in Robinho’s way</a>. While it is common for older players, such as Ronaldo the First and Roberto Carlos, to leave Europe’s elite leagues behind to return home at the end of their careers, such a move would be a tad strange for a player in his prime like Robinho.</p>
<p>Despite his chequered tenure at Eastlands, the September 1, 2008 Robinho signing signaled a massive turning point in Manchester City’s history as it showed the seriousness of new owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Many Premier League clubs have witnessed the arrival of supposed deep-pocketed foreign owner saviours, including Man City itself under Thaksin Shinawatra. The Robinho signing signaled Sheikh Mansour’s willingness to spend whatever it takes to bring Man City into the upper echelon.</p>
<p>The fact that Man City might well hardly miss Robinho is a sign of how far the club have come since last season. Robinho leaves with his football progress stunted, his reputation damaged and his spot at the World Cup unsecured.</p>
<p>His departure will again raise questions of the Premier League’s ability to absorb South Americans. The&nbsp;<a title="usual reasons mentioned" href="http:\/\/english-premier-league.suite101.com/article.cfm/south_americans_in_the_epl" target="_blank">usual reasons mentioned</a> in any discussion of this topic include the weather, the food, the language barrier, the culture shock, the more physical football style, the weather and the weather.&nbsp;<a title="The Guardian points out" href="http:\/\/www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/jan/26/robinho-manchester-city-brazil-mirandinha" target="_blank">The Guardian points out</a> that every Brazilian who has won Fifa’s World Player of the Year has received the award while at only one of four clubs, Real, Barca, Inter and Milan. Still, assimilation is not a problem for the Premier League alone. Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski, in&nbsp;<em>Soccernomics </em>(<em>Why England Lose </em>in the U.K.), spend a chapter discussing the general incompetency that most clubs display in absorbing foreign players. While the Premier League does not have an illustrious history of South American success stories (Asprilla anyone?), it remains a thoroughly international league, with more than<a title="300 foreign players from more than 60 countries" href="http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7225110.stm" target="_blank"> 300 foreign players from more than 60 countries</a>. Old notions die hard; Robinho’s exit says more about his own ability and maturity than it does about South Americans in the Premier League. One need look no further than Robinho’s soon-to-be-ex-teammate Carlos Tevez for proof positive that a world-class South American can thrive in England.</p>
<p>American fans take note, MLS club&nbsp;<a title="Red Bull New York is scheduled to play a Santos side" href="http:\/\/web.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20100121&amp;content_id=7950350&amp;vkey=pr_rbn&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;team=t107" target="_blank">Red Bull New York is scheduled to play a Santos side</a> that could well include Robinho in a March 20th exhibition match that will open their new ground in New Jersey.</p>


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