In the few hours since the death of Pelé was confirmed, thousands of tributes have poured in from football players, fans and politicians from all around the world.
Among the first of notable footballers to send their prayers and tributes to the hailed Santos player were French star Kylian Mbappé, Argentina's Leo Messi, current free agent Cristiano Ronaldo and fellow Brazilian star Neymar.
"A simple goodbye to the eternal King Pele will never be enough to express the pain that hits the entire world of football at this moment. An inspiration for so many millions, a reference of yesterday, today, always," Ronaldo wrote in an Instagram post. "The affection he has always shown for me was reciprocal in every moment we shared, even at distance."
"He will never be forgotten and his memory will last for ever in each and everyone of us football lovers. Rest in peace, King Pele," he added.
In football, there are few numbers that carry the significance that the no.10 jersey does, and with Pelé, the weight that figure carried skyrocketed.
"Before Pele, '10' was just a number. I read that somewhere at some point in my life. But that line, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say that before Pele football was just a sport," Neymar wrote. "Pele changed everything."
"He transformed football into art, entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, to the Black and above all he gave Brazil visibility. Football and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure. Pele is eternal!''
Fellow Brazilian player Richarlison acknowledged Pelé's death as the end of football's "most beautiful chapter," adding that "the man charmed the world and changed the history of the game forever."
"You will always be the greatest, because 60 years ago, with all the difficulties you faced, you already did what only a few can do today. The man who dedicated his 1000th goal to children and made our country discover it could be much more," the forward player said of Pelé.
Among the politicos, Pelé gained tributes from former Bolivian President Evo Morales, former US President Barack Obama, US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who Pelé served under as sports minister.
"Pele is an incontestable symbol of our nation, a source of pride for all of us. Beyond his achievements as a legend of world sport, Pele was an exemplary public officer, loyal to his principles, values and to our country," Cardoso said. "We all lose in his departure.''
The current Brazilian government has hailed the player as "one of the greatest athletes of all time," going on to declare a three-day national mourning period.
Offering his condolences, Brazilian President-elect Lula da Silva Pele commented in a Twitter thread that Pelé "went to make a table in heaven with Coutinho, his great partner at Santos. He now has the company of so many eternal stars: Didi, Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Sócrates, Maradona."
"He left a certainty: there had never been a number 10 like him. Thank you, Pele."
Brazilian media has reported that a wake will be held on Monday in the city of Santos, where Pelé played with Santos FC from 1956 to 1974. A funeral is expected to be held on Tuesday morning following a procession.
Pelé had been diagnosed with a colon tumor in September 2021; however, the following year his health took a turn for the worse after he was treated for three malignant tumors, urinary tract infection, as well as care for general swelling of the body and heart failure. He was ultimately placed on palliative care, with family members in the last several days sharing photos from the hospital of his final days.