Pelé, Iconic Brazilian World Cup Winner, Dies at Age 82

According to his manager, Pel died Thursday at the age of 1982.

Pel was hospitalized in November for colon cancer-related issues, and his health deteriorated rapidly in the weeks that followed. Andrew Downie reported on December 24th that his family had arrived at the hospital where he was being treated.

The three-time World Cup winner is considered one of the greatest of all time. Diego Maradona was his closest competitor for a long time, with the discussion now including Lionel Messi and other players.

The numbers show Pel's dominance on the field.

The all-time single-club record for goals in a single club was held by him until Messi broke it. Odir Cunha told Andrew Cesare Richardson that the former Brazil international actually scored 1,091 goals for the club, with a high volume coming in non- official friendly matches.

The champion of Brazil's first division six times,Santos won the Copa Libertadores in 1962 and 1963.

His time with the Brazil national team was the most enduring memory for most soccer fans.

Pel got his first World Cup medal when he was 17 years old. He scored six goals in four matches and was named the best young player.

Pel was limited to two appearances in the tournament due to a thigh injury. He and Brazil failed to advance out of the group stage as they struggled to cope with the physical nature of Bulgaria and Portugal.

Pel contemplated walking away from the World Cup due to his unhappiness with the style of play.

He was back in the fold in time for the 1970 edition and played a key role in what many believe to be the best team in the sport's history.

In its first game, Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia by a score of 4-1 before defeating England by the same score. In the final, Italy was demolished by a score of 4-1. The country's first goal was scored in the 18th minute by Pel, and the second goal was scored in the 86th minute by Carlos Albert.

FIFA World Cup @FIFAWorldCup

#BRA's 1970 #WorldCup-winning captain Carlos Alberto Torres would have turned 74 today.

Do you remember this goal he scored from the 1970 Final? pic.twitter.com/O9P8kXWWig

The 1970 Brazil squad took on an added importance due to the fact that soccer was entering a time when pragmatism superseded aesthetic. The summer of Brazil was a celebration of football.

"In Mexico, where the heat and the altitude made pressing impossible, where the game was slowed down so that artistry emerged again, Brazil, elevated by intense preparation, won a victory for the artistic football of the past. Even it, by 1974, had switched to something more physical, less full of flair. There were flickers of the old school under Tele Santana in the 1980s, but by the time Brazil next won the World Cup in 1994, the heart of its midfield was not a player of the elegance of Gerson, but the dogged spoiler, Dunga. In 1958, Brazil had Didi and Zito in the middle of midfield; by 2010 it had Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo."

Pel signed with the New York Cosmos in 1975, after his club and international career was over. He helped put soccer on the map in the US and laid the groundwork for the sport's rapid growth.

Pel was one of the most influential figures in soccer.