Brazilian legend Pelé loses her last fight on Thursday. The 82-year-old died as a result of cancer. The sympathy is great, the whole world is mourning the “immortal king of football”. The international press also pays tribute to the unique athlete.
“O Globo”: “Pelé has died, the immortal king of football. Symbol of a sport, two jerseys and a country, the greatest player in history has left us, victim of cancer. But Pelé and his myth live on.”
“Folha de São Paulo”: “Pelé showed the power of sport and pushed fame to new frontiers.”
‘Estado de São Paulo’: “Football has lost its king. Pelé died calmly, peacefully and calmly, just as he always behaved towards defenders and goalkeepers who tried to stop his goals.”
“Placar”: “As of today, Edson Arantes do Nascimento no longer plays. Pelé continues – the legend is forever.”
“A Tribuna” (Santos): “Pelé: unique, legendary and eternal. Adeus, king. Nothing will be the same without Pelé’s presence.”
‘Ole’: “Regardless of the rivalry between Argentina and Brazil, nobody can doubt that Pele was one of the greatest footballers in history, for many the best ahead of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.”
“Clarin”: “An overarching symbol of spectacular football. A great among greats.”
‘La Nacion’: ‘The football artist who took Brazil to the top of the world and decided to sit down there. News of his death sped around the world at supersonic speed, reflecting the greatness of a personality who pushed the limits of his ambience, football , has exceeded.”
“Marca”: “PELÉ. Four letters have never been so big. Pelé, ‘O Rei’ of football, is dead. A football myth has passed from us. Today is a day of mourning for football. Rest in peace, ‘O Rei’. Football wears black. Football will be an orphan in 2022. Its star will continue to shine, football will lose its king. He was on the Olympus of the football gods. Pelé is the history of football, he became a legend through his World Cup performances. Pele is infinite.”
AS: “‘O REI’. 1940 – 2022. THE KING OF SOCCER IS DEAD. Pelé was everything in soccer and will be considered the greatest soccer player of all time. He was, is and will always be a legend. Soccer says goodbye to Pelé. Better you couldn’t play soccer as Pelé. He was a genius. Pelé now sits on his divine throne. Pelé was much more than just a soccer player, he shaped entire generations. There was a moment when soccer divided into two eras: before and after Pele. He climbed the football peak from which he never descended. There is only one Pele. There will never be another Pele.”
“Sport”: “‘O REI’ (1940 – 2022). The best footballer of all time has died at the age of 82. ‘O Rei’ Pelé, the footballer who changed history. Pelé is now on the Olympus of the football gods together with di Stefano, Cruyff and Maradona. Pelé was the first mass idol, the only one who managed to win three world championships. Pelé is much more than just statistics. Pelé made football the world’s greatest spectacle. The world is crying for Pelé. He was a symbol of football perfection. Football is losing its greatest ambassador. We will never see someone like ‘O Rei’ again.”
“El Mundo Deportivo”: “‘O REI’. 1940-2022. Pelé, the greatest legend in the history of football and the only three-time world champion, has died at the age of 82. He died surrounded by his closest relatives. Pelé was a footballer, ahead of his time. The Brazilian myth is gone. Nobody danced with the ball like Pelé. He was the first big global star. He gave football a name. It was a spectacle to watch him play football. Pelé was much more than just football.”
“El País”: “The death of Pelé, ‘O Rei’, Brazil’s eternal and international idol, has left his countrymen dejected and nostalgia for the days when Brazil was synonymous with triumph.”
“New York Times”: “Pelé was a national hero in his native Brazil and loved around the world – by the poorest among whom he grew up, by the richest among whom he was associated and by just about everyone who saw him ever saw play.”
“Washington Post”: “There was only one Pele. Aside from his unequaled three world championship titles, his creative, acrobatic play, his love of football and his contagious joy made him a global icon.”
“Daily Mirror”: “Seeing Pelé at full speed was the most beautiful sight in football – long before that adjective defined the game. Even today, his name is not only synonymous with beauty, but also excellence, breathtaking skill and the highest level of sportsmanship . Long before Maradona, Ronaldo and Messi, there wasn’t even a debate about the greatest footballer of all time. Every fan knew it was Pele and they adored him.”
“The Sun”: “Bright Brazilian yellow on the then-newfangled color TVs, Pele seemed to have descended from football heaven. It was the 1970 World Cup, and with ballet-like balance, dazzling pace and clinical prowess, he defined what the beautiful game could be. “
“La Repubblica”: “Farewell to Pelé, the master who invented the future. ‘O Rei’ was born in Três Corações, in the southeast of Brazil – three hearts, that says it all.”
“Corriere dello Sport”: “The football world is mourning. The incomparable icon of Brazilian and world football has died at the age of 82.”