Lionel Messi shares moving tribute to football legend Pele
Argentina star Lionel Messi shared a moving tribute to football legend Pelé following news of his death.
Pelé passed away at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo on 29 December after his daughter confirmed the 82-year-old would be spending Christmas in the medical facility.
He had been diagnosed with cancer following a football career through which he became known as one of the greatest players of all time.
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In 1958, when Pelé was just 17 years old, he helped Brazil become World Cup winners - a title achieved for the first time by Messi as he helped lead Argentina to the trophy in Qatar this year.
Following the news of Pelé's death, Messi took to Instagram to pay tribute to his fellow footballer with a series of pictures of himself and Pele.
The images showed Messi and Pelé meeting and hugging, and showed the Brazilian footballer celebrating on the pitch as a young player.
Alongside the images, Messi simply wrote: "Rest in peace, @pele."
The Argentinian is far from the only member of the football world to honour Pelé in the wake of his death.
Brazilian player Ronaldo Nazário described Pelé as the best of the best, writing (translated): "Single. Great. Technician. Creative. Perfect. Unequaled. Where Pelé arrived, he stayed. Never having left the top, he leaves us today. The king of football - one. The greatest of all time.
"The world of mourning. The sadness of parting mixed with the immense pride of written history."
In another post including a picture of Pelé, Nazário recognised that he was following in his footsteps by adding: "What a privilege to come after you, my friend. Your talent is a school every player should go through. His legacy transcends generations. And that's how you'll live on. Today and always, we will celebrate you. Thank you, Pele. Rest in peace."
In the UK, Wembley Stadium recognised Pelé achievements by lighting its recognisable arch in the yellow and green colours of Brazil.
"Tonight we light the arch in the honour of Pelé," the stadium wrote on Twitter, adding: "His unique talent lit up the game of football, and inspired the world."
Pelé is the only player in history to win three World Cups and throughout his career became Brazil's joint all-time top scorer, achieving 77 goals in 92 matches.
Following his death, a post on his official Twitter account read: "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever."
Topics: Football, Sport, Lionel Messi, World Cup
Emily Brown