Brazilian soccer great Pelé has died

Pelé, the soccer king who smashed scoring records and whose beautiful play brought a new dimension to the game, died Thursday. He was 82.

What’s Pelé’s legacy in the sport? Pelé, whose birth name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, grew up playing on the Brazilian streets of Sao Paulo, kicking a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags. He won a record three World Cups and was the game’s most prolific scorer ever with the Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team. His play was distinguished by fluid, fast movement, and flair— “He transformed football into art, entertainment,” Neymar, a fellow Brazilian soccer player, said on Instagram.

Dig Deeper: Read Ray Hacke’s report in Muse about the legacy of Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who retired after winning the World Cup this year.