Football
Pelé was a great star, the legends live on, you will be missed. How is the public reacting to the death of the Brazilian hero?
The world lost not only a great football or sports legend, but also a great man, which Pelé undoubtedly was. The Brazilian hero will be missed by all. However, we can say that he collected many successes in his lifetime and will rightly always remain one of the best footballers of all time. What is the public reaction to Pelé’s death?
The world lost not only a great football or sports legend, but also a great man, which Pelé undoubtedly was. The Brazilian hero will be missed by all. However, we can say that he collected many successes in his lifetime and will rightly always remain one of the best footballers of all time. What is the public reaction to Pelé’s death?
The Brazilian legend Pelé and his treatment for colon cancer has been one of the big topics of recent times. In fact, the former Santos footballer was taken to a palliative care unit about a month ago as his body stopped responding to chemotherapy.
The disease has spread to his lungs and liver, and doctors have noted a deterioration in his heart function and a respiratory infection.
But then news came from the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo indicating that his condition was progressing favourably. However, on 29 December, the world received information that was decidedly not positive – Pelé had died at the age of 82. His death was confirmed by his agent Joe Fraga.
Public reaction
This sad affair has, of course, sparked a wave of reactions across the world, and we have to say that many of them are really reminiscent of not only his success, but what kind of person he was, how he was able to captivate huge masses of fans, how he was able to entertain people with his game, and also how much he will be missed.
“Pelé, widely regarded as one of football’s best players, spent nearly two decades wowing fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most productive goalscorer for Brazilian club Santos and the Brazilian national team,” the AP posted on its Twitter account.
Beautiful post from NASA
Even NASA itself reacted to Pelé’s death, with a post that sought to convey that his fame had indeed touched the stars. The latter posted a picture on Twitter of a spiral galaxy, in the centre of which we can see yellow and green colours.
“We remember the legendary Pelé, known to many as the king of the ‘beautiful game’. This image of a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor shows the colours of Brazil,” NASA said on its Twitter account.
The ESPN FC server then posted a picture of Pelé and Diego Maradona on its account, with the Brazilian legend saying the following after the death of the Argentine god. “I hope one day we will play football together in heaven.”
Indeed, many very well-known and famous personalities have commented on Pelé’s death, and not only from the world of football or sport itself. For example, former US President Barrack Obama wrote this.
“Pelé was one of the best players ever to play this beautiful game. And as one of the most famous athletes in the world, he understood the power of sport to bring people together. Our thoughts are with his family and all those who loved and admired him.”
Neymar and Ronaldo’s touching reaction
Then we must not forget the many football stars, whether it was Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Neymar’s reaction then speaks for itself.
“A mere goodbye to the eternal King Pelé cannot express the pain that now grips the entire world of football. He has inspired many millions of people. The affection he showed me was reciprocated in all the moments we shared together, even from a distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will remain forever in each and every one of us football lovers.”
“Before Pele, ten was just a number. I’ve read this statement in my lifetime, but I find it incomplete. Before Pelé, football was just a sport and Pelé changed it completely. Football became an art, an entertainment, it gave a voice to the poor, to black people and most importantly it gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil have their status because of the King. He’s gone, but his magic remains. Pelé forever.”
Sources: BBC, Bleacher Report, Twitter