The football world mourns the loss of Brazilian legend Pelé. Especially in his home country, numerous stars expressed their condolences to the football king, who died after suffering from cancer.
“Today I lost my brother. As a Catholic Christian, I know that “by dying one is born to eternal life,” wrote Cafu, who won the World Cup with the Seleção in 1994 and 2002, on Twitter. “See you one day, Pelé,” he added.
Cafu’s compatriot Ronaldo also reacted to Pelé’s death with deep sadness. “Unique. Brilliant. Technically. Creative. Perfect. Unmatched. Where Pelé went, he stayed. Without ever having left the summit, he is leaving us today. The king of football – one and the same. The greatest of all time,” wrote the 1994 and 2002 world champion on Instagram.
Neymar, who wears Pelé’s former number 10 in Brazil’s national team, also offered heavy words of condolence: “I would say that before Pelé, football was just a sport. Pelé changed everything,” wrote the Paris Saint-Germain striker. “He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to the black people and above all to the other. It gave Brazil visibility.”
Argentina’s world champion Lionel Messi summed it up: “Rest in peace, Pelé.” His Paris St. Germain teammate, Kylian Mbappé, also expressed his regret at Pelé’s death. “The king of football has left us, but his legacy will never be forgotten. Rest in peace, king,” wrote the French vice world champion. Another PSG professional, the Spaniard Sergio Ramos, expressed his condolences: “To talk about a legend or a historical figure is not enough. Simply, O Rei left us. Football will always remember you. Rest in peace Pelé.”
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo wrote: “My deepest condolences to all of Brazil and especially to the family of Mr. Edson Arantes do Nascimento,” Pele’s real name. “A mere ‘farewell’ to the eternal King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that is gripping the whole world of football at this moment.” Pelé will always remain “an inspiration to so many millions of people”.
Former Fifa President Sepp Blatter called Pele the greatest footballer in history. “Very sad news. Pele left us. The world mourns the greatest footballer in history and a wonderful personality.”
Numerous clubs and personalities from the family of the three-time world champion also sent their condolences from Germany. “I’m sure that “FC Himmel” with Maradona and Pelé will always be invincible,” wrote Mesut Özil, world champion of 2014, referring to the Argentinian Diego Maradona, who died in 2020. Özil’s former club FC Schalke 04 said: “Probably the greatest footballer in history has left us.” (dpa/Tsp)
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