The football world and beyond have paid tribute to Pelé after the Brazilian legend died at the age of 82.
Pelé, whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is regarded by many as the greatest footballer in the history of the sport and remains the only player to have won the Fifa World Cup on three separate occasions.
The first of those World Cup triumphs came in 1958 when Pelé was just 17 years old, a tournament in which the young Brazil star scored six goals in the knock out stages.
In a post on Pelé’s own Instagram account, the Brazilian’s achievements in both football and philanthropy were praised in a fitting tribute.
“Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today,” the post reads.
“On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.
“His message today becomes a legacy for future generations. Love, love and love, forever.”
Footballing greats pay tribute to Pelé.
Many of the modern greats of football have paid tribute to Pelé, with Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland all showing their appreciation for the Brazilian legend.
Neymar outlined how much Pelé had done for the people of Brazil in a post on Instagram and stated his belief that the three-time World Cup winner turned football into art.
“Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. I’ve read this phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete,” Neymar wrote.
“I would say before Pelé football was just a sport. Pelé has changed it all. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to the blacks and especially: he gave visibility to Brazil.
“Soccer and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He’s gone but his magic remains. Pelé is forever!”
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Ireland pays tribute to the Brazil legend.
Many of the greatest footballers to have played for Ireland showed their appreciation for Pelé on social media, with Paul McGrath and Robbie Keane among those to have paid tribute.
McGrath described the Brazil legend as one of his heroes, while Keane described him as a total gentleman and expressed his gratitude at having been able to get to know him.
The FAI also paid tribute to Pelé and stated that the Brazilian left a wonderful impression every time he visited Ireland.
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