A national "King Pelé Day" will be celebrated in Brazil in future.
President Lula da Silva signed a law to this effect on Tuesday, setting the date as November 19 - the day on which the Brazilian soccer icon scored the 1000th goal of his career in 1969. "Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or Pelé, known as the 'King of Football', is one of the greatest sportsmen of all time and an icon of world sport," the government wrote in a statement.
Pelé died of cancer on December 29, 2022 at the age of 82. As a player, he left his mark on football like no other and was already a legend during his lifetime. FIFA named the Brazilian - as well as the Argentinian Diego Maradona - "Player of the 20th Century". Pelé scored 77 goals in 92 international matches for the Brazilian national team.
