Abhishek Bachchan to Vicky Kaushal, Bollywood celebs mourn demise of football legend Pele

Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Vicky Kaushal. Pics/Yogen Shah

Bollywood celebs, on Friday, expressed grief over the demise of legendary Brazilian footballer Pele.

Pele passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 after battling bowel cancer.

Taking to Instagram, actor Abhishek Bachchan shared a couple of pictures and wrote, "As a child my father introduced me to Pele and his magic. And thus began a lifelong love for football. We had shelves filled with VHS tapes of his and the Brazilian team's matches. I would religiously watch them with my father. A magician we've all been blessed to witness. A few years ago, whilst visiting India I somehow managed to get an autographed jersey of his. It has pride of placement in my office. Thank you, sir for teaching us about joga bonito and being such a hero and idol to billions. Rest in Peace to the greatest!"

Actor Vicky Kaushal shared a picture on his Instagram stories and wrote, "R.I.P."

Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a throwback picture and wrote, "KING."

Shilpa Shetty Kundra took to Instagram and shared a picture of the football legend on her stories and wrote, " Legend #Pele rest in peace."

Bollywood Diva, Malaika Arora shared a picture and captioned it, "RIP."

Veteran actor Anupam Kher tweeted, "Dearest Pele! You and your game, and the way you played it, will always be #GameChanger for millions of people all the world. Whether they played football or not. Thank you for your inspiring life. #RipLegend #OmShanti #Pele."

A few days back, Pele's health had deteriorated, and doctors said he needed care for renal and cardiac dysfunction. He was also undergoing treatment for a respiratory infection that was aggravated by COVID-19.

Also Read: Pele: The King may have died, but his legend will live forever

Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is considered as one of the greatest to ever step a foot on a football pitch. He is the only player to have won three World Cup titles, having won the top prize in football in 1958, 1962 and 1970. The footballer also boasts of numerous trophies at the club and country level.

At the FIFA World Cup, Pele scored 12 goals in 14 matches across four editions, the second most by any Brazilian after Ronaldo.

Pele is widely regarded as the game's most gifted player. With 77 goals in 92 games, he continues to be the top goal scorer for Brazil.

Pele is the most successful top-division scorer in the sport with 541 goals in 560 games. He totalled 1283 goals in 1363 games including the friendlies.

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