Obituary: Pele

 Soccer great, perhaps the most famous soccer player of them all Pele, 82, died after a battle with colon cancer.  His agent confirmed the death.

Pelé — who was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on Oct. 23, 1940 in the small city of Tres Coracoes — is widely considered to be one of the greatest soccer players ever to grace the sport.

For nearly 20 years, he played on Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team, becoming the game's most prolific scorer in the process. His success earned him the nickname "The King," and made the image of his trademark celebratory leap — his fist propelled over his head — instantly burned into the minds of soccer fans globally.

The name Pelé came to him at a young age, he told The Guardian in 2006, after he mispronounced Bilé, the nickname of a goalie on his father's team.

He wasn't all that tall, either, just five feet, eight inches. I somehow thought he was much taller than that.

The Guardian:

After reports he was receiving end-of-life care, Pelé said he felt “strong, with a lot of hope” in a social media post on 3 December. A further statement from the hospital on 21 December reported that Pelé “requires further care related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions” after the “progression” of his colon cancer. Social media posts from his daughter Kely Nascimento showed that family members had gathered at the hospital to spend Christmas with him