Before The Presence Of Pele, Football Was Just Ordinary Sports

The late Brazilian football legend, Pele. (Photo: Instagram @pele)

JAKARTA Brazil's national team star Neymar considers Pele to have had a big influence on football. His predecessor was considered to have had a big role in this sport.

That was conveyed by Neymar via uploads on Instagram a few hours after Pele was reported to have died at the age of 82 at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, Thursday local time or Friday, December 30 in the morning WIB.

"Before Pele, number 10 was just a number. I've read this expression somewhere, somewhere in my life," wrote Neymar.

"But this sentence, although beautiful, is incomplete. In my opinion, before Pele football was just a sport," added the Paris Saint-Germain player.

Pele was the only player to win the World Cup three times. He lifted the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

He is also the record holder of the youngest player who has won the four-year grand event. His success made him also named the Best Player of the Century by FIFA in 2000.

"Pele has changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He defended the poor, black and especially: He gave visibility to Brazil," continued Neymar.

"The status of football and Brazil goes up thanks to the King! He's gone but the ball is still there. It's gone forever!" he concluded.

Pele died after suffering from kidney and prostate problems in recent years. He had undergone surgery to remove the tumor from his colon in September 2021 at the hospital he died.

He was then referred back to the hospital at the end of November 2022 before being reported to have died on Thursday, December 29 local time.