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France star Kylian Mbappé on Twitter: “The king has left us, but his legacy will remain forever.”
The death of Brazilian football legend Pelé has caused worldwide sympathy. Until the end, “O Rei” (in English the king) fought against his cancer in the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo.
During the past few weeks, when it became known that Pelé had to be transferred to palliative care due to his illness, prominent personalities had already spoken out about the state of health. In addition to many Brazilian footballers and fans, France star Kylian Mbappé and England striker Harry Kane also came forward and called for “prayers”.
Neymar: “He turned football into art”
Where there was compassion before, there is now sadness. This is shown by the reactions to the death of the former exceptional talent. Brazil national player Neymar writes on Instagram: “Before Pelé, 10 was just a number, football was just a sport. He changed everything. He made football art and entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to the blacks and above all: he gave visibility to Brazil. He’s gone, but his magic lives on forever.”
His club colleague Kylian Mbappé says goodbye with the words: “The king has left us, but his legacy will remain forever. Rest in peace, king.” The newly crowned world champion Lionel Messi blows the same horn: “Rest in peace, Pelé.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, who also shaped this sport, cannot find enough words. “A mere ‘goodbye’ from the eternal king will never be enough to express the pain that the entire football world is going through at the moment.”
In addition to the many footballers, there are also athletes from other sports. On social media, former sprinter Usain Bolt says: “A sports legend! Rest in peace, king.” Tennis player Rafael Nadal has never seen Pele play, but has heard enough that the Brazilian was the king of football, the Spaniard said.
Santos post icon image
A number of clubs also say goodbye to the king. Premier League leaders Arsenal: “We are extremely saddened by the news of his death. We were lucky enough to see 1981 live in England – we will never forget that.”
While FC Zurich is reviving old times (“Pelé also left his mark on the city club during a friendly match and as a member of the club”), FC Santos, for whom Pele has played for almost 19 years, says goodbye with a photo of a crown. A picture says more than a thousand words. (par)
Brazil’s icon is dead: The unique career of Pelé in the video(01:53)
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Pelé says Adeus: The football legend has passed away.