Pele, the magical Brazilian soccer star who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died at the age of 82, his daughter said on Instagram
Pele, whose given name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, scored a world record 1,281 goals, and is the only player ever to win the World Cup three times.
Whatever the truth, he was soon dazzling scouts not as a goalkeeper but as an attacking forward - a prototype number 10. His talent was soon recognized by the national team and he was chosen for the Brazil squad heading to the 1958 World Cup in Sweden - although a team psychologist called the 17-year-old "obviously infantile" and advised against playing him.
Pele's charisma dazzled even hardened New Yorkers. He hobnobbed with celebrities and once shared a table at the famed Studio 54 nightclub with Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and Andy Warhol - who called Pele the exception to his saying that everyone would have 15 minutes of fame.
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