Football great Pele, 82, passed away of cancer on Thursday in Sao Paulo.
Pele had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021 and has since had regular treatment.
Pele is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 games. Nicknamed the Black Pearl, Pele won one Ballon d’Or, a record three World Cups and scored a staggering 1,283 career goals.
Pele was a loved figure world over and India was no different. The Brazilian has enjoyed a long association with the country with his first trip to India dating back to 1977.
At the time, he was playing for the New York Cosmos team and played a friendly against Mohun Bagan, one of the country’s oldest and most popular football clubs in Kolkata. The match ended 2-2.
The match was held before a packed Eden Gardens. While Pele did not score in the match, he provided the assist for the opener by Carlos Alberto Torres in the 17th minute, with a whopping75,000 in attendance to watch the King of Football. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Brazil football legend Pele (centre) posing for photo with the Mohun Bagan team during an exhibition match between New York Cosmos and Mohun Bagan, in Calcutta on September 24, 1977 | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
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