The daughter of King Billy (Pele) said on social media today that her father passed away today at the age of 82. The Brazilian soccer superstar rose from abject poverty to become one of the greatest and most recognizable athletes in modern history.
Reuters reports that Billy had been in and out of the hospital several times in the months before his passing due to a tumor found in his colon.
Billy, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is the world record holder with 1,281 goals and is the only player ever to win the World Cup soccer tournament three times.
With his skill and charming smile, Billy helped make soccer the world's most popular sport, mesmerizing popes, presidents and Hollywood stars during his 70 years as a player and soccer ambassador.
Born on October 23, 1940 in the small Brazilian town of Tres Coracoes, Billy grew up learning to play soccer from his semi-professional father, who suffered a knee injury that prevented him from pursuing a promising playing career.
There are conflicting stories about some of the events of Billy's youth, including the origin of his famous nickname. As Billy sometimes tells it, he used to play goalie in neighborhood games, and children began to compare him to a local player named Bile, but he mispronounced the name and was called Pele for years.
Whatever the truth, he soon attracted the attention of scouts who thought he should play not as a goalie but as an attacking forward, and later wore the number 10 jersey.
Billy is highly respected for his all-round talents. He is skillful with both feet, has amazing speed and stamina, he can take the ball, pass it, shovel it, and of course, score goals.
He joined Brazilian side Santos at the age of 15 and went on to transform the small coastal city team into one of the biggest names in soccer.
During his 18 glorious years with Santos, Billy combined the glory of Brazilian soccer with two Copa Libertadores titles and two gold medals in the annual Intercontinental Cup, the competition for the best teams in Europe and South America.
Billy's soccer talents were quickly recognized by
the national team
Recognized and selected for inclusion in the Brazilian
the national team
Participated in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, although a team psychologist at the time claimed that Billy, then 17 years old, was clearly still young and advised against letting him compete.
But Billy was a revelation, scoring a hat-trick against France in the last four to help Brazil
advancement
The team went on to score two goals in the final against hosts Sweden to help Brazil win its first World Cup title.
In the 1962 World Cup, he only played two matches due to injury, but Brazil still defended their title. In the 1970 World Cup, a fully-fledged Billy won the title for Brazil for the third time, with a team that included stars such as Carlos Alberto Torres and Tostão, and was considered by many to be the strongest team ever.
Tarcisio Burgnich, the Italian defender in charge of keeping an eye on Billy in the 1970 World Cup championship game, once said, "I told myself before the game that he was just flesh and blood like any other man, but I was wrong.
Billy retired in 1974, but after a bad investment led to bankruptcy, he accepted an offer the following year to join the North American Soccer League at a staggering annual salary of about $1 million that year.
Billy's charisma has endeared him to even cold-hearted New Yorkers. He socialized with celebrities, sharing tables with such luminaries as Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and Andy Warhol at the famous New York nightclub Studio 54.
Despite these circumstances, Billy does not drink or touch drugs. He says he has to protect his body and be a good role model for his children.
However, he also admits to other weaknesses. He has been divorced twice, had multiple affairs and admitted to being the father of two illegitimate children.
While playing in North America, Billy led the New York Cosmos to a league championship in 1977, attracting millions of fans to a sport that had previously seemed inaccessible and more prevalent in Europe.
A few years later, the United States secured the right to host the 1994 World Cup, and the U.S.
national soccer team
The head of the ball league said Billy was the most important reason for making it happen.
Billy played 1,366 matches in his career and kicked 1,281 goals, averaging 94%. However, some of these matches were friendlies or military matches, and his official record is 812 matches and 757 goals, which is just as many.
Billy has had health problems in recent years, including hip surgery that has left him in constant pain and making it difficult for him to walk independently. He has reduced his public appearances but remains active on social media.
Billy leaves behind six known children, with a seventh, whom he did not recognize for many years, passing away in 2006 from cancer.
Shortly after the announcement of Billy's death, French-born star Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain then tweeted: the king of soccer is gone from us, but his legend will live on, RIP Ballon d'Or.
The Argentine star who just won the World Cup.
Lionel Messi (1987-), Argentine footballer
(Lionel Messi) tweeted: may Billy rest in peace.
Brazilian footballer
Neymar
(Neymar) said Billy turned soccer into an art.
Portuguese star
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Cristiano Ronaldo praised Billy for inspiring millions of people.
