Berlin (dpa)
Swiss Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), mourned the legend Pele with moving words, stressing that he left a legacy that “words cannot express” and that he “has truly reached eternity and will remain with us forever.”
Prominent stars such as Lionel Messi, the Brazilian Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo offered their condolences for the death of the legend Pele, then Infantino offered his condolences with touching words published by the International Federation. Infantino said: To all who love the beautiful game, it’s the day we never wanted to come, the day we lose Pele, the king was unique in many things.
He added: He was the only player to win the World Cup three times, and he had unparalleled skill and imagination. Pele did things that no other player even dreamed of doing, such as the famous dribbling in the 1970 World Cup semi-finals that became known as the “dribble.” Pele”, or the goal he scored as a 17-year-old in the 1958 World Cup final, when he threw the ball past a defender, before hitting the net from an aerial throw.
He added: The celebration of the “brown jewel” with its goals, while jumping in the air, has become one of the most famous images that have been associated with our sport and engraved in its memory. Rather, we have seen only a slight trace of what it was able to do because it lived in an era when televised football was what He is still taking his first steps.
Infantino continued to praise Pele, saying: The most important thing to watch is the “king”, as he ascends to his throne with a wide smile on his face. Football was violent in those days, which Pele sometimes suffered from. However, although he was a master at defending himself, he had a sporting ethic of the highest order, especially with an inherent respect for his opponents.
Infantino added: I had the honor of meeting him on several occasions, and in 2016 I was with him as FIFA president at the first showing of his movie, which reminded me of sitting next to my father in 1981 when he took me to watch the movie “Escape to Victory”, where Pele acted alongside Sylvester Stallone and a number of other stars.
He said: I was only eleven years old, when my father told me about the wonderful player Pele, and the goal he scored in that movie was the way to see a glimpse of his incredible skills.
He added: The moments I spent with him will remain forever stuck in my memory and engraved in my heart. Pele had an attractive presence, and time stopped with him. His life was too wonderful to be reduced to the limits of football. He had the ability to change views for the better in Brazil, South America and the world at large, his legacy cannot be expressed in words. Infantino concluded his speech by saying: I extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends, the Brazilian Football Confederation, Brazil and all the football fans who loved him. Today we are mourning the loss of the physical presence of our dear Pele, but he really reached eternity a long time ago, so he will remain with us forever.