As the world pays tribute to Pele, let us take a look back at some of the Tennis memories associated with the football legend
Pele was second to none when it comes to craft and skills with a football but did you know he was equally good with a Tennis ball? In an old throwback video, we can see Pele juggling a tennis ball so comfortably as if it doesn’t require any effort. Pele was into football from a very young age and it showed in the confidence and comfort with which he juggled a ball so small in size.
The Brazilian superstar was equally efficient in both creating chances through sheer skills and in scoring goals. It is not a surprise that he is considered to be one of the greatest of all time. He was voted as the player of the century in 2000 and to date is the only footballer to win the World Cup three times – 1958, 1962 and 1970. During his illustrious career, Pele scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country, Brazil.
Football icon Pele passed away on December 29 at the age of 82 at the Albert Einstein hospital, Sao Paulo, in his home country of Brazil. He was suffering from persistent illness for a long time. In 2021, he had to undergo surgery to remove a tumour from his colon at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo and had to be readmitted last month. He passed away in the same hospital last night.
The hospital confirmed that Pele died “due to the failure of multiple organs, a result of the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous clinical condition”. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest sportspersons of all-time and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declared three days of national mourning after his demise. A procession through the streets of Santos in Sao Paulo to a private family burial has been arranged in honour of the footballing icon and it will take place next week on Tuesday.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates