There is no longer a Great Pele. After a protracted fight with cancer, Edson Arantes do Nascimento passed away on Thursday in Sao Paolo. The news was received with astonishment and sadness, and tributes to football's monarch came in from all across the world. Due to his football accomplishments, the three-time FIFA World Cup champion became one of the few athletes to transcend their sport and get respect from both the famous and the unknown around the globe. As a result, after Madiba was released from prison in 1990, he frequently crossed paths with the late president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.
They initially met in March 1995, a year into Madiba's tenure as South Africa's first democratically-elected president. Pele was in the country in his capacity as Brazil's sports minister at the time, part of a delegation with the mission of fostering a relationship between both countries at the state level and beyond, as per IOL.
They initially met in March 1995, a year into Madiba's tenure as South Africa's first democratically-elected president. Pele was in the country in his capacity as Brazil's sports minister at the time, part of a delegation with the mission of fostering a relationship between both countries at the state level and beyond, as per IOL.