Photos: Soccer legend Pelé | CNN
Pelé was carried off the pitch by fans after Brazil beat Italy in the 1970 World Cup final.
Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images
Updated 4:39 PM EDT, Sunday April 16, 2023
By Kyle Almond and Will Lanzoni, CNN
Pelé, the Brazilian football star who became a world icon, has died at the age of 82.
Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is the only person in history to have won three World Cups.
He was only 17 years old when he starred in the 1958 World Cup, scoring twice in the final against Sweden. He went on to add to titles in 1962 and 1970, thrilling fans with his superb dribbling skills and prolific scoring ability.
For most of his career, Pelé played professionally for Brazilian club Santos. In the last few years before retiring, he signed a multi-million dollar deal to play in the North American Soccer League, where he won a title with the New York Cosmos.
In 2000, FIFA named him Player of the Century along with Argentine legend Diego Maradona. Many still consider him the greatest player of all time.
“I was born to play football, just as Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint,” Pelé once said.
