Tributes are pouring in from around the world after the death of Brazilian soccer star Pelé.
The three-time World Cup winner died of cancer at the Albert Einstein hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, aged 82.
The city has planned seven days of mourning and on Monday a 24-hour wake will be held in the center of the field at his hometown club, Santos.
The next day, a parade carrying his coffin will pass through the streets of Santos, passing the neighborhood where his 100-year-old mother lives.
The parade will end at the Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony.
In London, Wembley Stadium was lit in the colors of Brazil while icons of sport and heads of state bowed to the man who rose from childhood poverty to become a legend.
Players react to Pelé’s death
Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo called Pelé an inspiration for many millions and a reference of yesterday, today and always.
“The affection he has always shown for me was reciprocal in every moment we shared, even at a distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will last forever in each and every one of us football lovers,” he said.
Former Brazil striker Ronaldo said the sadness of farewell was mixed with the pride of the history written.
“Unique. Genius. Technical. Creative. Perfect. Unequaled. Where Pelé has gone, he has stayed. Never having left the top, he leaves us today. The king of football — one and only. The greatest of all time.”
Retired Brazilian midfielder Ronaldo Ronaldinho said “my condolences to the whole family. Rest in peace eternal King.”
Roberto Rivellino, a teammate in the 1970 World Cup-winning team, said “your place is on God’s side. My eternal king. Rest in peace.”
Fellow Brazilian soccer player Neymar took to Instagram upon hearing the news.
“Before Pelé, “10” was just a number. I read that phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But that phrase, beautiful, is incomplete. I’d say before Pelé, football was just a sport. Pelé changed everything .”
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Argentinian star Lionel Messi, who claimed a World Cup of his own this month, paid tribute to his fellow South American great.
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French striker Kylian Mbappé called Pelé “The king of football”.
World Cup winner and current French national team manager Didier Deschamps said soccer had lost one of its legends.
“Like all legends, the King seemed immortal. He made people dream and continued to do that with generations and generations of lovers of our sport. Who, as a child, didn’t dream of being Pelé?”
Former English player and broadcaster Gary Lineker said Pelé had reached “footballing immortality”.
Cesar Luis Menotti, Argentine coach and Pelé teammate in the Santos football club, doubted there would be another Pelé.
“Pelé had everything a player should have. Agile, jumped like no-one, could kick with both legs, physically very strong and brave. There was no-one like Pelé.”
Presidents and former presidents reacting
“I had the privilege that younger Brazilians didn’t have: I saw Pelé play, live, at Pacaembu and Morumbi. Play, no. I saw Pele give a show,” said Lula, the president-elect of Brazil.
“Because when he got the ball he always did something special, which often ended up in a goal.”
Outgoing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro expressed “sorrow for the passing of a man, who through football took the name of Brazil to the world”.
“He turned football into art and joy. May God comfort your family and welcome you into his infinite mercy.”
US President Joe Biden posted a photo of him meeting Pelé at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, saying Pelé’s rise from humble beginnings was a story of possibility.
Former US president Barack Obama tweeted that Pelé was one of the greatest to ever play the game.
“As one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together,” he said.
Another former US president, Bill Clinton, called Pelé a humanitarian and global icon.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Pelé’s “legacy is impossible to summarize”.
“When you were with him, the rest of the world stopped. His life is about more than football. He changed perceptions for the better in Brazil, in South America and across the world. His legacy is impossible to summarize in words.”
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