海角大神

Pel茅 was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer, and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth.

鈥淏efore Pel茅, 鈥�10鈥� was just a number,鈥澛燾urrent Brazil forward Neymar聽wrote聽following聽the soccer great鈥檚 death Thursday at the age of 82. 鈥淭hat line, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say that before Pel茅 soccer was just a sport. Pel茅 changed everything. He transformed soccer into art, entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, to the Black and above all he gave Brazil visibility. Soccer and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure.鈥�

Pel茅 scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches and is the only three-time world champion, winning titles in 1958, 1962, and 1970. His death was especially impactful for generations of Brazilian players who idolized him.

鈥淭oday Brazil waves goodbye to one of its most illustrious children,鈥澛爓rote Romario,聽a 1994 World Cup champion who used Pel茅鈥檚 full name in his post. 鈥淓dson Arantes do Nascimento made the world bow to his talent and took Brazilian soccer to the altar of gods. Throughout his life, Pel茅 inspired generations of athletes and deserves every tribute.鈥�

Ronaldo, who led Brazil to a fifth World Cup title in 2002, described Pel茅 as 鈥淯nique. Genius. Skilled. Creative. Perfect. Unmatched.鈥�

鈥淲hat a privilege to come after you, my friend,鈥澛燫onaldo wrote. 鈥淵our talent is a school through which every player should go. Your legacy transcends generations. And that is the way you will continue to live.鈥�

Pel茅 was a revered sports figure to a level probably not comparable to any athlete other than Muhammad Ali. As comfortable mingling with heads of states and celebrities as he was evading defenders, Pel茅 made an impact in capitals across continents.

鈥淎s one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together,鈥澛爁ormer U.S. President Barack Obama wrote.

President Joe Biden tweeted: 鈥淔or a sport that brings the world together like no other, Pel茅鈥檚 rise from humble beginnings to soccer legend is a story of what is possible.鈥�

Pel茅鈥檚 greatest impact was in Brazil, a unifying figure celebrated during the 2014 World Cup.

鈥淚 saw Pel茅 play, live, at Pacaembu and Morumbi (stadiums),鈥澛爁ormer Brazil President and current President-elect Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva wrote. 鈥淧lay, no. I saw Pel茅 give a show. Because when he got the ball he always did something special, which often ended in a goal. ... Few Brazilians took the name of our country as far as he did. As different from Portuguese as one鈥檚 language was, foreigners from the four corners of the planet soon found a way to pronounce the magic word: 鈥楶el茅.鈥欌��

For a half-century, people who knew the name of only one soccer player knew Pel茅.

鈥淗e made people dream and continued to do that with generations and generations of lovers of our sport,鈥� France coach Didier Deschamps said in a statement. 鈥淲ho, as a child, didn鈥檛 dream of being Pel茅? ... Pel茅 was the alliance of beauty and efficiency. His talent and his list of achievements will stay engraved in our minds forever.鈥�

French soccer star Kylian Mbapp茅 tied Pel茅 for sixth in career World Cup goals with a hat trick in this month鈥檚 loss to Argentina in the final. Four years ago, Mbapp茅 became only the second teenager 鈥� after Pel茅 鈥� to score a goal in a World Cup final.

鈥淭he king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten,鈥澛燤bapp茅 wrote.

鈥淧el茅 not only filled football stadiums with exhilaration but he filled hearts and homes with hope and the knowledge that adversity was surmountable,鈥� South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement Friday. 鈥淗is endurance and impact on the field of play inspired the resilience with which Pel茅 worked for peace and justice globally.鈥�

When Pel茅鈥檚 condition worsened last month during the World Cup in Qatar, get well messages were flashed on the sides of buildings in Doha. The English Football Association lit Wembley Stadium鈥檚 arch in Brazil鈥檚 colors on Wednesday night. FIFA, soccer鈥檚 governing body, changed its website鈥檚 homepage to photos of Pel茅 with a black background.

鈥淧el茅 did things that no other player would even dream of,鈥澛燜IFA president Gianni Infantino wrote.聽鈥淭he sight of him punching the air in celebration is one of the most iconic in our sport, and is etched into our history. In fact, because televised football was still in his infancy at the time, we only saw small glimpses of what he was capable of.鈥�

When Pel茅 played for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League from 1975-77, he helped spark soccer鈥檚 rise in the United States, leading to the nation hosting the World Cup in 1994.

鈥淧ele was truly a remarkable figure 鈥� on and off the field,鈥� said FIFA Council member Sunil Gulati, a former U.S. Soccer Federation president. 鈥淭he world has lost a once in a lifetime sportsman who leaves an extraordinary legacy.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.