Rafael Nadal pens a heartfelt tribute to Pele after the Brazilian legend’s demise
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Pele, Rafael Nadal
Brazilian football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, nicknamed Pelé, took his last breath yesterday after battling cancer for a while. The death of one of the greatest athletes of all time has sent shockwaves across the globe, with fans pouring their tributes to the beloved icon. Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal too joined, writing a heartfelt post for the football magician on his Instagram.
Pele who was one the best-known athletes in modern history died at the age of 82. He was the only player to have won three World Cups in 1958, 1962, and 1970. In 2000, Pele was voted, ‘World Player of the Century’ by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics, and his record of 1,279 goals in 1,363 games is recognized as a Guinness World Record.
Expressing his sorrow Rafa wrote in Spanish which translates into,” Today a great of world sport is going again. A sad day for the world of football, and for the world of sports.” Nadal who has a special place for football in his heart further expressed his admiration for the legend, “His legacy will always be with us. I didn’t see him play, I wasn’t that lucky, but they always taught me and told me that he was the King of football. Rest in peace! oh king.”
Rafael Nadal joined by tennis fraternity in showing respect for Pele
Rafael Nadal was not the only admirer to pay his tributes to the football legend. Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King too joined to show their respect for Pele. King expressed that Pele ‘was a true ambassador of the beautiful game.’
“Pelé, who won a record 3 World Cups, & was a true ambassador of the beautiful game has died. Much of sports is entertainment for fans & Pele’s athleticism & skill made him globally known. I had the honor of spending time w/him. He was joyful & had that something special,” King wrote. “So sorry to hear about the passing of Pelé- the greatest!!! RIP Champ,” Navratilova posted.
There was a time when Pele was the benchmark for greatness in any sport. Reverence for him transcended the barriers of all sports and nations. The passing away of the most successful and one of the most loved athletes has left a huge hole in the sporting world which will be impossible to fill.
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Abhinavendu Singh
(290 Articles Published)