Football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, died on Thursday 29 December, aged 82. Now the Brazilian idol is celebrated all over the world. – He is one of the very, very biggest, says Drillo to news. – The most divine of footballers and happy men, writes Gary Lineker on Twitter. Tributed around the world Social media is full of condolences and tributes to the 82-year-old. On Instagram, daughter Kely Nascimento writes “Everything we are is thanks to you”. “The greatest football icon of all time”, writes Jan Aage Fjørtoft on Twitter. – It is terribly sad. He is one of the world’s greatest sportsmen of all time, not just within football, says former football commentator Arne Scheie to NTB. TRIBUTES: Pelé introduced the world to Brazilian samba football. Now he is praised worldwide. Photo: JOEDSON ALVES / AFP Drillo’s meeting with Pelé The Norwegian coaching legend got to meet Pelé in 1958. Sweden was then the World Cup organizer, and Pelé was to win his first of a total of three World Cup golds (1958, 1962, 1970). The then 17-year-old Brazilian met the then 16-year-old Drillo in connection with Brazil’s group stage match against the Soviet Union in Gothenburg. ADMIRES: Drillo met the one-year-older Pelé as a 16-year-old and has admired him as a player ever since. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB Pelé, with number 10 on his back, came to the championship injured. This was his first match in the championship. Drillo remembers it as the match in which Garrincha broke through and became world famous. – So did Pelé, too. After that I followed and watched Pelé in … I don’t know how many matches, but naturally I was a great admirer of Pelé as a player. He had most of it. Both as facilitator, creativity, goalscorer. He had feints that almost no one else had. No, one of the very largest, says Drillo. – At the top of the list, Østfoldingen describes the Brazilian as pleasant and polite. And quite rightly: Pelé had his definitive breakthrough in the next match against France in the World Cup semi-final. Then, aged 17, Pelé became the youngest ever to score a hat trick in a World Cup. A few days later, he became the youngest ever to score in a World Cup final. Sweden was beaten 5–2. news expert Åge Hareide believes the world has not seen the like. – I have Pelé at the top of the list. Because I was born when Pelé grew up. He was only 17 when he played in Sweden in 1958, and I had the Brazilian team on the wall. I have followed him all the way and then he became world champion in 1970, and I remember that WC very well. He is a fantastic player, says Hareide. TOP: news’s expert commentator Åge Hareide believes Pelé is the best footballer of all time. Photo: Luis Vieira / AP Brazil’s national team manager Tite talked about his relationship with Pelé and their first meeting at a press conference on Sunday. – He is probably the only person I have met where I started shaking when we shook hands. I speak from the bottom of my heart when I say that it was a very emotional moment for me to meet him. I started shaking, my hands were sweating and I felt my pulse racing. This is a difficult time, said a serious Tite, wishing Pelé well.
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– He is one of the very, very greatest – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
