Pele Death: Indian Cricketers Pay Tribute As Football Legend Pele Passes Away At Age Of 82

Sao Paulo: Football's original G.O.A.T., the man who made football 'the beautiful game', global sporting hero and Brazil's former sports minister, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who, as 'Pele', overawed the world and became the sport's original legend, passed away on Thursday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, losing his battle against cancer, at the age of 82.

Called by various names such as 'Gasolina', 'The Black Pearl' and 'O Rei' (The King), but it was as 'Pele' that he has left the world as the most cherished and loved sports star it has ever seen.

Pele, 82, passed away in a private hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, after spending nearly a month, battling complications related to advanced cancer.

RIP #Pele Sir ?? Condolences to family, friends , All the fans pic.twitter.com/6qGD9B6Vv6

Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) December 29, 2022

He had a colon tumor removed in September 2021 and neither his family nor doctors, specified whether it had spread to other organs. He was recently under "elevated care" related to :kidney and cardiac dysfunction".

End of an Era. Some sportspersons leave a mark which inspires generations. The great Pele's legacy and achievements will be cherished by many generations to come. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans.#Pele pic.twitter.com/mJNnyphLG0

VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) December 29, 2022

RIP Pele. An inspiration around the world, a global icon, a legend ? pic.twitter.com/iHlVzBB7j4

Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) December 29, 2022

Labelled "the greatest" by FIFA, football's world governing body, named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999 and included in TIME Magazine's list of 100 most important people of the 20th century, Pele was in 2000 voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award.

A Magician on the field and one of the greatest sportspersons to have graced the planet. Heartfelt condolences to his family and well wishers all around the world. #Pele pic.twitter.com/FVemHsZ5FB

Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 29, 2022

But for millions of fans of the game around the globe, Pele was the first person who made football 'Jogo Bonito', "the beautiful game".

A legend so big that even big names from a totally different sport are mourning his loss. Many prominent Indian cricketers like Virender Sehwag, Jasprit Bumrah, VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh paid tribute to the football legend.

All of them posted pictures of Pele alongside emotional captions paying tribute to Pele and condolences to his family in this hard time.