‘Football in 4 letters’: World mourns death of King Pele

Pele, regarded as one of the world's greatest footballers and the sport's original icon, passed away in Sao Paulo in Brazil on Thursday at the age of 82 due to multiple organ failure.

- Vivek Krishnan [e-mail]

The grim news was on the horizon for a few months now, given his prolonged battle with cancer at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, yet the confirmation of his death - around 4pm in Sao Paulo and past midnight in India - sent his legions of fans around the world into a state of mourning.

Brazil, the vibrant flag-bearers of the beautiful game revelling in dance and music, has fallen silent. The images of Christ the Redeemer and the iconic Maracana Stadium at Rio de Janeiro being lit up in the colours of Brazil's national flag provide a moving illustration of what he means to the South American country of roughly 217 million people.

Hordes of fans have flocked to the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, the city where he played most of his club football, to share their grief with each other and pay tributes.

His funeral will take place in Santos on Monday and Tuesday.

But the tributes were not confined to Brazil alone - extending across the globe from South America to Europe, the United States to South-East Asia, from Australia to Africa, to India.

After all, Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, couldn't be restricted to the parochial boundaries of his country.

The international football federation (Fifa) lowered the flags of all nations to half-mast at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, as a symbol of "mourning and respect".

From floral tributes to heartfelt banners and murals, the outpouring of grief has been apparent in regions, including India, where he made multiple visits.