Pele, perhaps the greatest and most loved footballer in the world, died at the age of 82. Three of this generations most highly rated footballers, Argentina s Lionel Messi, Portugal s Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian Neymar paid their tribute to the legend.
rest in peace, pele. and fellow brazilian neymar said he s gone but his magic remains. well, pele was brilliant and skillful in an era that favoured more physical play, and he went on to become a global icon who brought brazilian culture to the world. the referees gave him no protection whatsoever. you ve only got to look at the footage when he played goodison park against italy and the 66 world cup, winning the wonder world cup. he was hacked to absolute oblivion and had to carry him off the pitch. he also played on pitches that were abysmal in the balls were happy, not like they are today. were heavy, not like they are today. he scored 1000 goals now, he could score 2000 in this era. so there is absolutely no comparison. the only comparison i would make is with mohamed ali. they are the two greatest athletes
The Brazil legend s family have gathered in hospital as his condition worsens - with his daughter vowing to stick by his side as the 82-year-old receives care after his cancer progressed.