Pele's death has unified Brazil, a country starkly divided by a bruising presidential election.
Playing against Mohun Bagan on a slushy and jam-packed Eden Gardens on September 24, 1977 in the twilight of his career, the three-time World Cup winner was overwhelmed by the depth of talent a "little known" Indian club possessed.
Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died on Thursday at the age of 82.
Pele was eventually convinced to sign a multimillion-dollar deal with US club New York Santos in June 1975, aided by then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who wrote a letter to the Brazilian government stressing how important his presence would be for bilateral relations.
More than the story of any other footballer or athlete, Pele's life helped democratise his sport; made it the stuff of a widely shared dream. Shyam G Menon salutes the memory of the greatest footballer ever.
Years later, in 1997, the queen honoured Pele with an honorary knighthood of the British Empire. He remembered the moment in an Instagram post in 2017 when he thanked "all the British people for their affection".
The 82-year-old had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021 and has since been in and out of the hospital for treatment on a regular basis.
Pele's greatest contribution to both soccer and Brazil was to transform his underachieving nation into a footballing superpower.
Salah has called out UEFA for omitting key details about the death of Palestinian football legend Suleiman al-Obeid in their tribute post
"In this period, everyone's thinking of New Year's Eve, the distraction can be a problem. Two days after Leeds, we have to be ready."
The Santos, Brazil and New York Cosmos player will turn 81 on October 23. Pele is the only man to win three World Cups as a player.
Putting their bitter club rivalries aside, Kolkata's Big Three football clubs joined in to mourn the loss of Pele and remember his magical presence that wowed the metropolis 45 years back.
In the early hours Monday, his body arrived under fireworks in the city of about 430,000 people from Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital.
Brazilian soccer legend Pele's family members gathered at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo on Saturday, where the 82-year-old, widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, has been since late November.
Pele, 82, has been battling colon cancer since September 2021 and was hospitalized on Nov. 29 for doctors to re-evaluate his treatment. He is also being treated for a respiratory infection diagnosed following his hospitalisation.
Brazilian soccer great Pele said on Saturday he was "strong" and grateful for the widespread support he has been receiving after being hospitalized in Sao Paulo earlier this week as he battles colon cancer.
'This victory is for him. I hope that everything goes well, that he can get out of this situation and we can be champions for him.'
Brazil soccer great Pele died on Thursday, aged 82, after a long battle with cancer.
The former Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos striker posted a picture of his face projected on a building in Qatar, where the World Cup is being held, next to a message saying "Get well soon".
Brazilian soccer legend Pele's cancer has advanced and he requires care related to renal and cardiac dysfunction, according to a medical report.
Neymar scored in extra time against Croatia
Titled the King, Pele made football and Brazil a household name and Brazilian football, a benchmark.
Brazil great Pele has not been moved to palliative care, one of his daughters said on Sunday, downplaying reports that he was in end-of-life care.
Brazilian soccer legend Pele made a public plea on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his "wicked" and "unjustifiable" invasion of Ukraine.
He was hospitalized last week to re-evaluate his treatment and is also being treated for a respiratory infection, according to medical reports.
Pele posted a picture of him receiving the vaccination on Instagram giving a thumbs up sign.
Brazil lived up to expectations by smashing Bolivia 5-1 at home in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers opener on Friday.
Brazil soccer great Pele said on Monday that he was recovering in hospital from surgery to remove a tumour from his colon.
Soccer legend Pele continues to recover from colon surgery, with his family posting a video of the 80-year-old Brazilian smiling while undergoing physiotherapy in his Sao Paulo hospital room.
Neymar has left Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal to return to Santos, the Brazilian club where both he and Pele made their names.
Pele said he is ready for "90 minutes, plus extra time" after leaving the intensive care unit (ICU) of a Sao Paulo hospital following surgery to remove a tumour from the Brazilian soccer great's colon.
The Brazilian, the only player to claim three World Cup winner's medals and a man often called the greatest footballer of all time, said all monies raised will help Brazil's fight against and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cristiano Ronaldo hailed Pele after he surpassed the Brazilian great's goal-scoring haul
Here's what you must know about the youngest scorer, youngest hat-trick scorer, youngest final player and youngest final scorer in football World Cup history.
Brazil, who are fifth in the CONMEBOL table with 18 points from 12 games, host Colombia on March 21 and visit Argentina five days later in a match that could see Neymar come up against former Barcelona and Paris St Germain teammate Lionel Messi.
Pele told his fans he was happy and healthy and pleased to be reaching the landmark with his lucid mental state.
Retired Brazilian soccer star Pele mourned the death of Argentine great Diego Maradona on Wednesday, following confirmation he had died of a heart attack earlier in the day.
The film focuses on the period between 1958 and 1970 when Brazil won three out of the four World Cups and established itself as the country of football.
Brazil soccer great Pele paid tribute to Lionel Messi for equalling his goal-scoring record for a single club after the Argentine forward netted his 643rd goal for Barcelona in Saturday's 2-2 home draw with Valencia.
Brazil soccer great Pele was hospitalised in Paris late on Tuesday with a strong fever but his condition is not life-threatening, RMC Sport reported. The 78-year-old was admitted as a precaution after attending an event in the French capital with France's World Cup-winning youngster Kylian Mbappe.
