Breaking News: Pele Dies at 82 - Mdundo Alt

[Photo Courtesy: Aljazeera]

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Legendary football star, Edson Arantes Do Nascimento famously known as Pele has passed away aged 82 years. The retired Brazilian star lost his battle with colon cancer while receiving treatment at the Albert Einstein hospital in  Sao Paulo where he is said to have had multiple organ failures.

Pele bows down as a football legend as he made a name for himself at the age of 17 years when he won his first World cup for his country Brazil in 1958 when they played against Sweden. Born on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He grew up in abject poverty where he started out playing football barefoot until he was 15.

He started his professional football career at the age of 15 when he signed with the Brazilian club team Santos FC.  He fast created a name for himself by displaying impressive playing skills plus excellent scoring ability making him the go-to player on the team. By the end of his first full football season, Pele had scored  58 goals in 57 games.

Pelé's international career began in 1957 when he was selected to play for the Brazilian national team. He made his debut for the team at the age of 16 and immediately became a key player, scoring his first international goal in his first match. Over the course of his career, Pelé scored a total of 77 goals in 92 appearances for the national team, making him the all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil.

He is also celebrated for having led his country Brazil to win the world cup three times including 1958, 1962 and 1970, thus getting him named one of the greatest players of all time in the world cup.

Pelé had a tremendous club career in addition to his success in the world arena. He played the majority of his career for Santos, where he amassed a number of victories, including two Copa Libertadores and six Brazilian league championships. Even though Pelé left professional football in 1977, his influence on the game continues to this day.

Until his demise, Pele leaves behind a great legacy and seven children namely Kely, Flávia, Sandra, Edson, Jennifer, Joshua and Celeste and several grandchildren.