China remembers soccer legend Pele
Dazzling performances mesmerized fans who loved his breathtaking skills, easygoing personality
Credited for enlightening a country on the beauty of the beautiful game, Brazilian soccer legend Pele’s death set off widespread mourning in China, as his unparalleled career was celebrated and fondly remembered.
Pele died on Dec 29 age 82 in a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, after a long battle with colon cancer.
Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, Pele is the only footballer in history to have won three World Cups — in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
He scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches during a 21-year career.
Pele was held in high regard in China for his breathtaking soccer skills and huge accomplishments off the field. Media and notable figures in China’s soccer community joined mourning fans around the world and recalled his visits to the country.
Among the fond memories shared on Chinese social media were two international friendlies in 1977, when Pele first visited China. He put on a dazzling show in both matches to thrill Chinese soccer fans with an entertaining style of play they had never seen before.
Playing for the New York Cosmos on their Asian trip, Pele mesmerized a capacity crowd at Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium on Sept 17 that year with his deft skills and exceptional athleticism, even though he was in the twilight of his career. The nationally televised match against Team China ended in a 1-1 draw.
Three days later, Pele won over fans in Shanghai by scoring with a stunning second-half free kick in the Cosmos’ 2-1 loss to Team China at the sold-out Jiangwan stadium.
Off the pitch, Pele’s easygoing personality and interaction with Chinese players and fans saw his popularity soar, recalled Nian Weisi, then head coach of Team China.
“The same as fans nowadays adore star players such as (Lionel) Messi, we all looked up to Pele as an icon back then. Yet he was so nice to us all during the trip and showed great interest in the sport’s status in China, the culture here and everything,” Nian said. “He had a smile on his face all the time and never refused requests for autographs or photos as far as I could recall.”
Liu Guojiang, a former coach of China’s military soccer team who watched both games in person, hailed Pele as a role model for his generation and others.
“He did his best on the field, respected his Chinese opponents and referees, even as a super star, and waved to the fans to acknowledge their support politely. He well deserved his high reputation,” said Liu.
According to media reports, Pele visited China at least five more times. His appearances in China included the opening ceremony of the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, a visit to the Great Wall during a promotional event in 2002, and attending the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
The soccer world came together to honor “O Rei” (The King).
Brazil star Neymar said Pele “transformed soccer into an art”, France’s Kylian Mbappe said his legacy “will never be forgotten”, and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo called him an “inspiration to millions”.
Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi simply wrote: “Rest in peace.”
Brazil’s then-outgoing-president, Jair Bolsonaro, declared three days of national mourning.
New leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who took office on Jan 1 in a ceremony that started with a minute’s silence for Pele, led the tributes on Jan 3 as Brazil said its final farewell to the soccer legend.
A flood of fans, politicians and soccer dignitaries turned out to pay their respects in the southeastern city of Santos, home to the club where Pele spent most of his storied career.
Santos FC said some 250,000 people attended his 24-hour wake in the Vila Belmiro stadium.
That was followed by a massive funeral procession, as Pele’s casket — draped in the black-and-white flag of Santos and the green-and-yellow one of Brazil — was placed atop a firetruck for a final parade through the city.
“Goodbye to the King. Rest in peace, Pele,” Lula, the president, wrote on Twitter.