Pelé, the Brazilian soccer icon who remains the only player to ever win the World Cup three times, has died, his daughter announced Thursday. He was 82.
"Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely," Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram. "Rest in peace."
Albert Einstein Hospital, where Pelé was being treated, confirmed the soccer star's death from multiple organ failure.
The three-time World Cup winner's cancer had advanced and doctors at Albert Einstein Hospital recently said he was under "elevated care" related to "kidney and cardiac dysfunctions."
Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, had been hospitalized since late November at Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo as his health declined amid an ongoing battle with cancer. He had a tumor removed from his colon in 2021, but neither his family nor medical personnel had said if the cancer had spread.
Doctors said last week that Pelé was under "elevated care" related to "kidney and cardiac dysfunctions," The Associated Press reported. The soccer star's family gathered at the hospital to visit him on Christmas Eve, according to AP.
Pelé began his professional career at age 15 and made it onto Brazil's national team at age 16. He led the team to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. His 77 international goals are tied for most in the country's history, with Neymar equaling that mark just this year in Qatar.
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