The legendary soccer star Pelé has sadly passed away aged 82 following a battle with cancer, it has been confirmed.
Pelé - full name Edson Arantes do Nascimento is one of the most famous soccer players of all time and is often believed to be one of the greatest to play the sport.
The Brazilian's father - João Ramos do Nascimento - was a soccer player himself, but the money for players meant Pelé was not raised in a wealthy household, per Football History.
The legend goes that his family couldn't afford to buy him a football in his youth, so the future star would stuff socks and mold them into the shape of a ball.
Sadly, it has been revealed that following a battle with cancer, Pelé has passed away aged 82.
The news comes after Reuters reported in early December that the star had been moved to palliative care as his condition worsened.
In the weeks that followed, Pelé's daughter Kely Nascimento shared heartfelt images of her with her father on his hospital bed as well as family gathering by his bedside.
The news of his death was broken by his agent who informed the associated press.
Pelé broke many soccer records during his career, some of which still stand today. FIFA reports that the legend scored 1281 goals in 1363 games, but this figure is often disputed.
His time in the sport didn't get off to the best start as a series of clubs rejected him. But his professional career began in 1956 with the Brazilian club Santos and he scored during his debut appearance.
Just a year later, the budding young talent was the top scorer in the Brazilian league and this attracted the attention of the Brazilian national team.
In the 1958 World Cup, aged just 17, Pelé was instrumental for the South American side, scoring important goals in the semi-final and final to bring the trophy home to Brazil.
He was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government, and his name was already cemented into the history of the country.
Pelé would go on to win a further two World Cups for Brazil, making him the player who has won the most with three - a record he still holds today.
Pelé announced his retirement in 1974, before briefly making a return to action for New York Cosmos. After winning the 1977 championship with the Cosmos, he hung up his boots for the final time.
Pelé was named athlete of the century by the French sports outlet L’Equipe in 1980 and received the same honor from the International Olympic Committee in 1999, per Britannica.
He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest to take to the pitch.
Our thoughts are with Pelé's friends, family, and fans during this time.