Breaking news as the world pays tribute to the great Brazilian footballer

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Former Man Utd and England defender Gary Neville reacts

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Pelé’s career in numbers

• He won three World Cup titles with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970, the only player to have won the final tournament three times.

• He became the youngest player ever to win the World Cup trophy at 17, a record that still stands.

• He scored 757 goals in 812 competitive matches for club and country, a record which stood for decades until Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo eclipsed his tally.

• The Brazilian football federation and Santos say Pelé has scored a total of 1,283 goals in 1,367 games, while Fifa estimates 1,281 goals in 1,366 games. Other sources give varying figures depending on the types of games included.

• He has scored 77 goals in 92 competitive matches for Brazil, the country’s all-time top scorer, alongside Neymar, who scored his 77th goal at the 2022 World Cup.

• He scored 12 goals at the World Cup.

• He recorded six assists at Mexico 1970, a record for a World Cup.

• He scored 92 hat-tricks in competitive and unofficial matches.

• He scored 127 goals for Santos in 1959, considered the most goals scored by a club player in a calendar year.

• He finished as Santos’ top scorer with 643 goals in 659 competitive matches.

• He won the Brazilian Serie A six times with Santos (1961-1965 and 1968).

• He led Santos to two Copa Libertadores (1962 and 1963).

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Sir Geoff Hurst reacts

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Wembley arch will be illuminated in the colors of the Brazilian flag

Touch of class from the Football Association. They said in a statement:

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French President Emmanuel Macron reacts

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Watch: The Life and Times of Pele

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Pele’s former club reacts to sad news

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BBC’s Gary Lineker reacts

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“We love you infinitely”

Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram:

The story continues

7:04 pm

Breaking news: Pelé dies at the age of 82

Pele – considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time – has died at the age of 82.

A three-time World Cup winner with Brazil, Pelé – alongside Diego Maradona – was the definitive footballer of the 20th century and was named alongside the Argentine as one of FIFA’s two players of the century in 2000.

His astonishing 1279 goals in 1363 games are recognized as a world record, while he remains tied with Neymar as Brazil’s top scorer with 77.

It had long been known that Pele’s health was failing. In September 2021, he underwent surgery to remove a tumor before undergoing chemotherapy. He returned to hospital last month with heart problems and his health has reportedly deteriorated significantly in recent weeks.

Pele’s appearance at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden remains the biggest debut in the history of soccer’s biggest tournament. His six goals in four games helped lead Brazil to their first World Cup triumph and made their young striker a household name overnight.

Further World Cup glory was expected in 1962, albeit at a tournament during which injury prevented the world from seeing Pele in his full glory.

In 1970, Pele returned to true prominence on the world stage, leading one of the greatest international teams of all time to World Cup glory in Mexico.

Pelé, alongside the likes of Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Carlos Alberto, Tostão and Clodoaldo lit up the tournament – the first to be shown in color in the world – with a string of electrifying performances culminating in a 4-1 defeat of ‘Italy in the final.

Pelé himself scored the opener before turning into assist provider for both Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto.

Football greats including Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Ferenc Puskas and Bobby Moore have named Pelé the greatest player in history, a position that has remained indelibly linked to him even with the emergence of modern footballing greats.

Stay with us here for the full live reaction and remembrance from around the world following the passing of one of the 20th century’s true sporting giants.