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ABC News
ABC News
Sport

Pelé obituary: The king of football who came to define Brazil

No single word carries greater connotations of the beautiful game than Pelé.

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but known around the world as Pelé, the greatest player of his generation has died after a battle with colon cancer and a respiratory infection in São Paulo. He was 82.

Hailed by many in Brazil as "O Rei" ("The King"), and by FIFA as "The Greatest", Pelé left an indelible mark on world sport with an incredible facility for scoring goals on the biggest stage.

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