Global soccer icon and Brazilian legend Pele, one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died in his home country at the age of 82.
The former striker had surgery for a tumour on his colon in September 2021, but his condition worsened over recent months and he had been at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo since November 29, with reports emerging during the recent World Cup in Qatar that he was receiving end-of-life care.
A hospital statement confirmed that Pele, whose original name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, passed away at 3.27pm Brazilian time due to multiple organ failure resulting from his colon cancer.
A statement on his official Instagram account read:
"On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.
"His message today becomes a legacy for future generations. Love, love and love, forever."
During his legendary career, Pele scored a world-record 1,279 goals for club and country between 1956 and 1977, including 77 goals in 92 appearances for Brazil.
That figure has been questioned due to the inclusion of friendly matches Santos played across the world to capitalise on Pele's star power, although his widely-recognised official tally of 757 goals in 831 games is still one of the highest in the history of football.
The Brazilian was also the only player in history to have won three World Cups, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Pele's daughter Kely Nascimento broke the news of his passing on Instagram, posting a picture of what appeared to be the hands of family resting on his body in a hospital bed.
