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He was one of the greatest athletes in history: Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, has had an impressive footballing career.
The attacker won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Photo: HJS / IMAGO
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In this photo, taken after the 5-2 final victory of the 1958 World Cup, Pelé is just 17 years old.
He scored two goals in the final against hosts Sweden.
With that, his star rose.
Photo: TT / IMAGO
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In 1970, too, it was Pelé who electrified the masses.
After the 4-1 final victory over Italy in front of 100,000 spectators in Mexico City's Aztec Stadium, he is carried to the award ceremony with a sombrero on his head by enthusiastic fans.
It is one of the most famous photos in sports history.
Photo:
dpa
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Pelé spent most of his career at FC Santos.
He made his debut for the club as a 15-year-old in 1956 and celebrated a string of trophies, including the Copa Libertadores twice (1962, 1963).
Photo: Domicio Pinheiro / AESTADO / dpa
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Eleven times Pelé was top scorer during this time.
Here he is in November 1969, just after scoring his 1000th career goal.
The referee stopped the game, hundreds of fans stormed the pitch of Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro and cheered their hero.
Photo: ZUMA Press / Keystone / IMAGO
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Pelé was a pop star and was regularly sent on long journeys with FC Santos to maintain his global reputation.
When his club was booked for a friendly in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1967, the horrific Biafra War was suspended for all to see Pele.
Photo: STAFF/AFP
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Pelé then changed clubs again late in his career: he went to Cosmos New York in the USA and played there for a few years.
In 1977 he led his new team to the championship.
Photo:Jeff Robbins/AP
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Pelé convinced with his playful ease, his fabulous ball handling and technique and his inexhaustible wit.
"Pelé turned football into art," wrote the world football association Fifa in an anniversary book.
Photo: Kicker/Liedel / IMAGO
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In 2016, Pelé was awarded the Olympic medal, the highest honor for Olympic athletes.
However, Pelé never took part in the Olympic Games.
Photo: MIGUEL SCHINCariol / AFP
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Fifa also honored the exceptional footballer.
In 2004, Pelé received the World Football Association's Order of Merit of the Century.
In addition to Pelé, the then Fifa President Sepp Blatter also presented the award to Franz Beckenbauer.
Photo: Walter Bieri / epa / dpa
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After his career, Pelé was on the road as a representative of Brazilian football.
Here he is seen together with Germany's record international player Lothar Matthäus at the 2005 World Cup final draw in Germany.
Photo: Peter Endig / dpa
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Magician on the ball: On January 9, 2012, Lionel Messi received his third Ballon d'Or.
Pelé was also present at the award ceremony in Zurich.
Dani Alves (l.) was voted into the eleven of the year, Neymar (r.) received the Puskás Award for the most beautiful goal.
Pelé himself never received the Balon d'Or.
From 1956 to 1994, only European players who also played in Europe were eligible.
In 2016, France Football published a list of alternate winners who would likely have won if the choice had been open to all players.
Pelé would have won seven times.
Photo: Inside photo / IMAGO
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When Neymar played big at FC Santos, comparisons with Pelé were quickly drawn.
Here Pelé shows Neymar, who was still very young at the time, a photo in which he wore a similar hairstyle.
The high hopes that many Brazilians place in Neymar have so far not been met, at least at the World Cup.
The Seleção has been waiting since 2002
on the title.
Photo: Fotoarena / IMAGO
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Their careers did not overlap.
Pelé stopped in 1977, the Argentinian Diego Maradona only started in 1977 with the Argentinos Juniors.
The eternal discussions about who may have been the better footballer are pointless.
Both did extraordinary things on the ball. Apart from the pitch, they had little in common.
In 1987 they received the »Sports Oscar« in Rome.
Photo: Milan/AP
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Pelé also always had words of appreciation for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Here Pelé honors the Portuguese for winning the 2013 Ballon d'Or. For Pelé, however, the question of who is the best footballer in history is clear, as he once said: “There will only be one Pelé.
There will be no one like me."
Photo: AFLOSPORT / IMAGO
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Probably the two greatest players who ever played for New York Cosmos: Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer gave US football a hitherto unknown boost in popularity.
Pelé played for New York between 1975 and 1977, Beckenbauer from 1977 to 1980 and again in 1983.
Photo: Future Image / IMAGO
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In recent years, Pelé's public appearances have become less frequent.
Here he bid farewell to fans at Old Trafford in Manchester in 2016. Previously, an England selection had played a charity match against a world selection.
Pelé died on Thursday at the age of 82 after a long illness.
It could be that he was right: that there will be no one like him again.
Photo: OLI SCARFF / AFP