End of an era: Death of the brightest star in Football history

The Family members, well-wishers, idolizers, common people, and football fans from all over the world are in a moment of grief over the death of the brightest star in Football history, Pele (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) also referred to as "The King of football". He passed away on December 29th, 2022 at the age of 82, while undergoing treatment at Albert Einstein Hospital after a battle with cancer.
The Brazilian footballer, Pele was born in Três Corações in Minas Gerais state in Brazil on 23rd October 1940. It is known that he grew up in poverty and struggled a lot with his life before things were easier for him. He is the only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958,1962, and 1970. He has a world record of scoring 1281 goals in 1363 matches in his 21-year-long career.
During his early years in Sao Paulo, he played with socks stuffed with newspapers, as he couldn't afford to buy a ball. He honed his skills like that. It was his father who taught him how to play football as his father was also a football player. But in his mid-teens, he started playing Futsal(indoor football) matches. And he credits Futsal for developing him and his ability to think quickly in his early years.
In 1956, he was in for a professional football team and he was only 15 years old then. He was called by the Brazilian national team before even a year had passed after signing as a professional, and he shocked the world when he played in the World-cup in 1958.
He made his international debut against Argentina and he was only 16. They lost with a score of 2-1, but it was Pele who had scored from Brazil, making him the youngest scorer in the internationals. Then his fame followed after more of his achievements, when he scored a World Cup goal in the Quarter-Finals, a second-half Hat-trick in the Semi-Finals, and won the Finals with two goals from him in a 5-2 score.

His win against the European champions Benfica is also very famous. He scored a hat trick against the team and gained the respect of the great goalkeeper Costa Periera who acknowledged Pele as a great man and an extraordinary one at that.
At the 1962 World Cup, Pele who was 21, scored a fascinating individual goal. They scored 2-0 over Mexico to open their campaign. But Pele was injured in the next match. Their team defended the title, however. 1970, his last appearance at a World Cup, he was part of the Brazilian side considered to be the greatest team in history. Brazil won with a score of 4-1 over Italy in the final and secured the Jules Rimet trophy after winning the World Cup three times. And Pele was a valuable asset to the team.
Aside from football, he became a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment and was later made a Unesco goodwill ambassador. He served as the Sports Minister after being appointed by Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 1995, enabling him to make various reforms in the sports sector, and he even played a movie named "Escape to Victory" released in 1981, alongside Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, and Moore.
In his latter phases of life, he struggled with the effects of a hip operation that he had undergone in November 2012: appearing in a wheelchair and often being unable to walk. In recent years, he had been suffering from kidney and prostate problems. Pele had undergone surgery to remove a tumor from his colon in September 2021 at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. He was readmitted to the hospital in late November 2022. His death was caused by multiple organ failures and a complication of colon cancer.
His daughter Kely Nascimento posted a picture on social media on Thursday. The picture was of Pele at the hospital, with his family's hands on his body. "Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace", it was written so by his daughter. 
Some world leaders and football stars: Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Neymar have paid tribute to Pele "The King of Football", who was an inspiration to countless stars shining bright today. His funeral is to be held on January 2 and 3, 2023 at Santos Stadium, after which he will be buried at Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica, located in Santos, Sao Paulo.
Pele is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and it is all because of what he has achieved. Being the only player to win the World Cup three times, Pele was named FIFA's Player of the Century in 2000, alongside Maradona. Aside from his struggles, it was his infinite passion and love for football that gave him the title of "The King". Many have claimed that he was out of this world, as nobody had ever seen someone play like Pele. It was even said that football was invented for him. Even people with no knowledge or interest in football, recognize Pele. He made football into an art, which was only a sport before him. He was such a magnificence that no one like him has been born. He is no more, but his legacy will remain forever.

(sources taken from Agencies)