Soccer legend Pelé, who won a record three World Cup titles with Brazil and whose career spanned nearly two decades, died Thursday, his agent told the Associated Press. He was 82 years old.
Pelé wowed fans of the sport with his dazzling dominance and became the face of the “beautiful game” brand of soccer that the Brazilian national team became known for.
Pelé served as an esteemed ambassador for the sport long after his playing days ended, and is routinely cited as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. He had been dealing with colon cancer.