#BTEditorial – Pelé did it first! Goodbye, to the greatest ever

The news of his death, Thursday, did not come as a total shock as we all knew he was ailing for some time.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known affectionately to the world as Pelé, had been battling cancer since September 2021.

In late November this year, the 82-year-old was hospitalised due to complications from the chronic illness. His cancer had advanced and he had kidney and cardiac dysfunctions.

Over the weekend, family members spent Christmas with Pelé at the Sao Paulo hospital where the football legend was still valiantly holding on to life. But the reality of his pending death hit home when his daughter Kely took to social media and shared a photo of her hugging her father in the hospital with the caption: “One more night together.”

Days later, on December 29, the three-time World Cup winner died. His family had shared him with the world and we all loved and celebrated his great achievements, but for sure their loss will be greater.

Pelé had warmed his way into the hearts of football lovers in 1958. Only 17 years old at the time, he stormed the World Cup by netting a hat-trick in the semifinals and two more goals in the final, catapulting his own career and launching the soccer dynasty of the Brazilian national team.

Love for the Brazilian forward player grew along with his accomplishments.

Pelé remains the only player in history to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970). He still holds the record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian for the Brazil national team, with 77 goals from 92 appearances – a feat he shares with Neymar. Pelé was also the youngest ever to score at the FIFA World Cup and the youngest World Cup champion.

During his career, Pelé continued to woo even those least interested in football.
We in the Caribbean owned him not only because geographically, Brazil is close to us but also — and largely — because he was a Black man from dirt poor origins who dominated the game with immense skill, style and flair.

He was one of the only three sports persons — along with Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson — to feature in TIME magazine’s The Most Important People of the Century list in 1999.

He was Brazil’s Minister of Sports from 1995 to 1999 and was also named co-winner of the Player of the Century Award by FIFA in 2000, alongside Argentine great Diego Maradona.

His 1 279 goals in 1 363 games, including friendlies, are recognised as a Guinness World Record.

The Brazilian had a slew of humanitarian accolades. But those achievements, while impressive, were not the only reason people fell in love with the legend that was Pelé.

There was his infectious and inspiring personality. He always spoke about God, his family, and his fellow teammates, redirecting interviewers to the reality that he could not achieve all he had without their support.

Many of us had hoped that his beloved Brazil would lift the World Cup a sixth time in honour of Pelé who was keeping track of the action in Qatar from his hospital bed. He encouraged fans to watch and support Brazil. When Neymar Jr said he would quit after the five-time champs lost to Croatia, Pelé told him not to in a heartfelt social media post.

The Brazil team also had a large banner with the football giant’s image imprinted, paying tribute to him at all the matches they played.

Over the years, there have been debates about whether he or Maradona is the greatest.

Late Argentine star Alfredo Di Stefano once said: “The best player ever? Pelé. [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pelé was better.”
“This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There’s only one possible answer: Pelé. He’s the greatest player of all time, and by some distance, I might add,” said Brazilian footballer Zico.

French three-time Ballon d’Or winner Michel Platini said: “There’s Pelé the man, and then Pelé the player. And to play like Pelé is to play like God”.

Many across the world, and even some who were his opponents at one time, all hail him as the greatest footballer the world has ever seen. They have crowned him the “King of Football”.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter said: “The world mourns the greatest footballer in history and a wonderful personality. He celebrated the game like no other.”

“Pelé was one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game. And, as one of the most recognisable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together,” said former US President Barack Obama.

Just Fontaine, the Morocco-born French star who scored 13 goals in six games in the 1958 World Cup said: “When I saw Pelé play, it made me feel I should hang up my boots.”

Italian poet Pier Paolo Pasolini added: “The moment the ball arrived at Pelé’s feet, football transformed into poetry.”

Thank you, Pelé, for making football more than a game. Thank you for your invaluable contribution and all that you have done to bring world recognition to football. Thank you for your graciousness and your positivity that was a light to many. But, above all, thank you for being an inspiration, not only for the poor black boy in Brazil but for poor black boys all over the world.

Rest in Peace: The Best Footballer to Ever Play, The Greatest of All Time, The King of Football!