Cristiano Ronaldo & David Beckham Lead The Soccer Community In Mourning Pelé

The soccer world has lost another star!

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, famously known by his moniker Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer that dominated the sport in the 20th century. Often regarded as one of the greatest players, the former athlete stole hearts with his electrifying goal-scoring skills.

Sadly, the legendary forward passed away at 82 on Thursday. In the wake of his absence lies a big hole in the hearts of sports lovers worldwide, especially the 21st-century soccer stars who idolized the former minister of sports in Brazil. Grab a box of tissues as you scroll down these poignant tributes.

This is a difficult time for soccer lovers, especially those who got to watch Pelé in his prime. A prolific goalscorer, the Brazilian icon could fire powerful shots and support his teammates with precise passing. 

Given his numerous achievements, it was only natural that people nicknamed Pelé "O Rei," which translates to "The King." A fitting name for a star player whose memory would not soon be forgotten.

Following news of the three-time World Cup winner's death, tributes poured in from every corner of the world. From fans to celebrities, everyone did their best to honor one of soccer's biggest influencers.

From the sport's corner are the current football stars. The first on the list is the most followed man on Instagram, Cristiano Ronaldo. With over 500 million admirers, the Portuguese footballer used his platform to spread awareness about Pelé's greatness.

The five-time Ballon d'Or award winner shared a black-and-white image of himself receiving an award from the late icon. Alongside this image was a message that expressed Ronaldo's, devastated heart.

"My deep condolences to all of Brazil, and in particular to the family of Edson Arantes do Nascimento," the 37-year-old began before launching his grief-filled epistle. "A mere "goodbye" to the eternal King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that the entire football world is currently embracing."

The European Golden Shoe honoree continued, "an inspiration to so many millions, a reference yesterday, today and forever. The love you always showed me was reciprocated in every moment we shared, even from distance."

Ronaldo noted in his concluding message that Pelé would never be forgotten as every football lover would carry on his memory. Following the Portuguese native's post came David Beckham's sweet message.

The retired athlete uploaded throwback pictures with the deceased and captioned these snaps: "It was HIS beautiful game. Thank you and goodbye. Rest in peace, my friend, Pele."

Next on the list was the second followed person on Instagram, Lionel Messi. Like Beckham, the Argentina superstar kept his tribute simple by sharing three pictures with a short caption. Two images captured the footballer with the FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur winner, while the last image showed a younger Pelé on the field. Messi captioned the touching memories: "Rest in peace, Pele."

More heartwarming tributes came from football stars like Kylian Mbappe. The French athlete posted two black-and-white pictures of himself with the Brazilian native alongside the sweet note: "The king of football has left us, but his legacy will never be forgotten. RIP KING."

As people from other countries celebrated the life of the Guinness World Record holder, no one felt his absence more than his fellow citizens. Neymar, a Brazilian forward, poured his soul into a poignant message for his idol.

The 30-year-old uploaded snaps from his time with Pelè, including a rare pic of the former athlete rocking a crown. Following these images, Neymar wrote: "Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. I’ve read this phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete."

The Chuteira de Ouro honoree explained that before the deceased, football was "just a sport." However, the icon changed the game into "art and entertainment," giving voice to the Black community and the less privileged. Most importantly, Pelé kept Brazil on the map.

Retired Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho expressed his loss with a throwback picture of the late legend. The 42-year-old captioned the snap with his condolences to Pelé's family and wished the King a peaceful rest.

As shared by The Blast, the deceased died after losing a longtime battle with colon cancer. He previously removed the tumor in 2021. However, the disease reportedly worsened, and the resulting complications killed Pelé.