Pelé, winner of record 3 World Cups, is widely regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time
He had been hospitalized for the a month with multiple health issues
Pele had joined Brazilian club Santos in 1956 and spent his entire career there until retiring in 1974
I was born to play football, just like Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint," once Pele told Fifa.com
Known for his genius with the ball, he epitomized the sublime style of play called "samba football" in Brazil, where he was declared a "national treasure."
His parents named him after American inventor Thomas Edison.
Samba football' -Born in the southeastern city of Tres Coracoes, Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- Pele's real name -- grew up selling peanuts on the street to help his impoverished family get by.
French star Kylian Mbappe said the legend's legacy would "never be forgotten," adding: "RIP KING."
He had been in increasingly fragile health, battling kidney problems and colon cancer -- undergoing surgery for the latter in September 2021, followed by chemotherapy.
The Albert Einstein hospital treating Pele said in a statement his death after a long battle with cancer was caused by "multiple organ failure."
Pele dies at 82 after a long battle with cancer, his daughter confirm