Brazil Pay Tribute To Pele On One-Year Anniversary

Brazilian’s have paid tribute to football icon Pele on the one-year anniversary of his death.

Pele died in December 2022 at the age of 82 at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo, after a lengthy battle with colon cancer.

Brazilian’s have decided to commemorate Pele’s passing by projecting a Brazilian shirt on Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue.

The projection of a Brazil shirt with Pele’s name, signature and No. 10 was seen during a ceremony on Friday afternoon.

The ceremony also featured a message from Pope Francis in remembrance of the three-time FIFA World Cup winner, who was a devout Catholic.

The Pope’s message read: ‘Pele, as Mr Edson Arantes do Nascimento became globally known, was undoubtedly an athlete who showed in his life all positive traits of a sportsman.

‘The memory of ‘the King of Soccer’ remains indelible in the minds of many, and it stimulates new generations to seek in sport a means to strengthen the bonds of unity among us.’

Pele has gone down in history as one of the greatest footballers to have graced the planet. In his playing career, he scored 1,282 goals in 1,366 games, which included 77 in 92 appearances for his country.

Johan Cruyff said Pele ‘was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic’, while German legend Franz Beckenbauer Pele ‘is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. There’s no one to compare with him’.