The life of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pelé, went out this Thursday at the age of 82 in a hospital in the city of Sao Paulo. The popular Brazilian striker, who had been admitted to the hospital since the end of November, suffered from colon cancer detected last year.
The history of the Brazilian legend with the UN dates back to 1977, when the Organization named him “Citizen of the World”. At the invitation of the United Nations, he held the position of goodwill ambassador for the Rio 92 Conference on the environment and collaborated supporting children’s rights in various parts of the planet.
The secretary general of the Rio Summit, Maurice Strong, described him not only as the best footballer in the world, but as “a universal man”, rooted in Brazil.
“His commitment to the people, to the planet, really sets him apart as a true citizen of our Earth,” Strong said.
UNESCO rewarded his commitment to sport and the underprivileged
The United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), which defends the power of sport globally, published a tweet in which it said it was “deeply saddened” by his death, and offered its condolences to the Brazilian people and the “football family” in general.
The three-time world champion with the Brazilian national team -in 1958, 1962 and 1970- was named “Champion for Sport” by the Unesco in April 1994, due to his outstanding commitment to promoting sports and helping underprivileged children.
In the exercise of his position, Pelé visited numerous countries, such as Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and Brazil. Thanks to the shared language of soccer, he participated in the promotion of sport as a tool for peace and integration.
In addition to promoting sports around the world, Pelé was also a strong supporter of social causes, from access to clean water for all to the environment and children’s rights in some programs with the United Nations Fund for the childhood, (UNICEF) and with national governments.
A humble, charismatic and supportive star
In a recent interview with UN News, Pele’s son Joshua Nascimento explained how he would like his father to be remembered.
“Very good question. I think he should be remembered for the person he is and always was. Super humble, charismatic, always in a patriotic way, being able to represent Brazil as well as he did in its history, in his career and having been the best soccer player, one of the best athletes in the world. I think that is how I would like to be remembered. A very supportive person”, affirmed the heir to the Brazilian legend.
