Last week, the country of Brazil underwent 48 hours of mourning following the passing of their beloved countryman, Pelé, due to colon cancer. The death of the famed soccer player came 11 days after the 2022 World Cup reached its conclusion. The Brazilian soccer legend is the only player in the history of the world to notch three World Cup Championships. The iconic striker has a resume full of distinguished achievements, which include becoming the youngest player (16 years old) to score a goal for Brazil's national team and being named the "Player of the Century" by FIFA (an honor shared with Diego Maradona) and the "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee. During his storied career, Pelé averaged nearly one goal per contest. Thus, he has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as soccer's all-time leading scorer.
Pelé passed away at the age of 82 after being hospitalized for palliative care at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paolo, Brazil. His daughter, Kely, honored her late father with a tweet shortly after his death.
"All that we are is thanks to you," Kely wrote. "We love you forever. Rest in peace."
While many of Pelé's family members were able to say goodbye, his mother, a 100-year-old woman named Dona Celeste, was still unaware of her son's passing as recent as a few days ago due to her health condition. In a recent interview, Pelé sister, Maria Lucia, explained why.
“We talk, but she doesn’t know [about his passing]," Lucia said. "She’s in her own world...She opens her eyes when I mention his name and say, ‘we’re going to pray for him,' but she’s not really conscious of what I’m saying.”
Today, Brazil began honoring Pelé with a memorial service and parade expected to last for two full days in Santos. With the support of her loving family, Pelé's mother is expected to have an opportunity to bid her son farewell sometime during the occurrence.
Source: Mirror
