Legendary Soccer Icon and Brazilian Great, Edison Arantes do Nascimento popularly known as Pele, one of the greatest player of all time passed on yesterday at Albert Einstein Hospital exactly by 3.27 pm (18.27 pm GMT) at the age of 82 years after he battled with cancer for so many years. Pele who remained the only player to have won the World Cups three time died due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with previous medical condition. Pele who has been in and out of hospital in the last two years, had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon in September 2021 at the hospital, after the tumour was detected in a routine tests was again readmitted to the hospital in late November 2022 for a respiratory Infection and for complications related to colon cancer. For the record, Pele was the joint goalscorer for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games at the club level and was Santos all – time top goalscorer with 643 goals in 659 games and was also credited with scoring a World record 1, 281 goals in 1,363 appearances during 21 year career including 77 goals in 92 games for his Country. The only player to win the World Cup three times lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and was jointly named by FIFA as Player of the Century in 2000 along side Maradona. The funeral service for Pele final home journey will take place next week in Sao Paolo. Firstly A public wake will be held for Pele on Monday at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium Popularly known as Vila Belmiro and home to Santos Football Club in Brazil’s Sao Paolo. At dawn on Monday, Pele’s body will be moved from the Albert Einstein Hospital to the Stadium. The soccer legend’s coffin will be placed in the centre of the pitch. The wake at Villa Belmiro will continue until Tuesday 10am local time ( 8: 00am ET) after which a funeral procession will carry Pele’s coffin’s through the streets of the City of Santos, including the street where Pele’s 100 years – Old mother Celeste Arantes lives. The Cortege will continue to Pele’s final resting place, the Memorial Necropole Ecumencia Cemetery in Santos, where a private funeral, reserved for the family members will be held. The Brazilian President has declared a three days of National mourning in honour of Pele, who put Brazil on World Soccer Maps.
