Tributes have continued to pour in for the Brazil football legend, Pele who died last night after battling cancer.
Gatekeepers News reports that Pele’s demise comes barely a few weeks after the former Santos forward had been rushed to the hospital and was transferred into a palliative care ward when he stopped responding to chemotherapy.
Family members had gathered at the Albert Einstein Israelita Hospital in Sao Paulo — where he was receiving treatment — shortly before Christmas.
Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi are among the prominent persons who have taken to social media to pay tributes to Pele.
Tributes have been pouring in from within and outside the football world in honour of Pele.
Neymar, the Brazilian forward, took to his Instagram page to mourn the late football legend.
“Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. I’ve read this phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say before Pelé football was just a sport. Pelé has changed it all. He turned football into art, into entertainment. Gave voice to the poor, and blacks and mostly: Gave visibility to Brazil. Soccer and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He’s gone but his magic remains. Pelé is FOREVER!!” Neymar wrote.
In the same vein, Mbappe wrote: “The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.”
Rio Ferdinand wrote, “The legend who stood tallest among legends… always had time for everyone!. I had the pleasure of playing for him (charity match) and interviewing him – equally rewarding. The player, The man, The icon.”
