SAO PAULO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died on Thursday at the age of 82.
The death of the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player was confirmed on his Instagram account.
[1/4] Legendary Brazilian soccer player Pele waves to the spectators before the start of the under-17 boys' final soccer match of the Subroto Cup tournament at Ambedkar stadium in New Delhi, India, October 16, 2015.
Brazil's CBF soccer federation said Pele "gave us a new Brazil and we can only thank him for his legacy."
Kylian Mbappé, the French star many view as the current best soccer player in the world, offered his condolences.