BREAKING: Football Legend, Pele Dies At 82

Pele, a football icon who helped the sport gain international acclaim, has died at the age of 82, The Associated Press reported.

The former player from Brazil was recently placed under increased care due to kidney and heart dysfunctions after spending nearly a month at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo due to the worsening of his colon cancer. He underwent surgery in 2021 to remove a tumor from the right side of his colon, and then he started chemotherapy.

Pelé is credited with popularizing the term “The Beautiful Game” in association with soccer, with his global popularity being a catalyst for the sport’s overall growth worldwide.

The teams he played for often traveled and played internationally to take advantage of his popularity around the world. For a period of time during his playing days, Pelé was considered the highest-paid athlete in the world.

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In 1975 at the age of 34, he agreed to sign with the New York Cosmos in the United States for $7 million across three years.

The footballer retired in 1977, and in his post-playing career he served as a worldwide ambassador for the sport and acted in several films and commercials. In a full-circle moment for the Brazilian star, he was named honorary president of the Cosmos in 2010 with the organization aiming to field a team in Major League Soccer.