After Pelé’s death at 82 years of age was announced this Thursday, the world of football is in mourning and condolences are everywhere.
And someone who has expressed his pain after the departure of “O Rei” is Neymar, the current Brazilian football star, who was close to the world soccer legend.
Neymar’s emotive message
The PSG striker turned to his Instagram account to say a few words after the death of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, highlighting the importance of Pelé not only in the sporting field but as a benchmark that gave Brazil visibility.
“Before Pelé, ’10’ was just a number. I read that sentence somewhere, at some point in my life. But that sentence, precious, is incomplete. I would say that before Pelé, football was just a sport . Pelé changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to the blacks and especially: He gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will remain. Pelé is ETERNAL!!“, Neymar expresses in his message
The current number 10 of the Canarinha accompanied the text with three images, one of “O Rei” with his crown and another two in which the two are seen together, as it should be remembered that they had a friendly relationship for quite some time.
A few days ago he had collected an award on his behalf
On December 24, Neymar Jr reported on his networks that he had collected an award that recognized Pelé as the “Best Player in History”.
In the publication, he smiled with the trophy and also pointed out that he was honored to have been able to collect the trophy in the name of “O Rei”.
“To the king. The one who made football his kingdom. The one who, instead of creating wars, stopped them. The one who used his power to enchant the world. One who challenged sovereignty. One who was revered. The one who made his own dynasty. The one who inspired the youth. The one who built an empire. The one who raised all the gold cups. The one who was not only the best in the game. He was the best in history,” the striker wrote at the time.
This Thursday Pelé died after spending a month hospitalized due to colon cancer that afflicted him. The Brazilian soccer star left at the age of 82, although his legacy will be eternal.