South American football journalist Tim Vickery, speaking to BBC Breakfast:

"There was a wonderful story Pele used to tell, of being a nine-year-old child and watching his father crying as he listened to the radio and Brazil losing the 1950 World Cup final to Uruguay.

"Pele was reassuring his dad that he was going to put this right.

"Within 20 years, he's done it all.

"By 1970, Pele and Brazil had won the World Cup three times and had established themselves as the spiritual home of the beautiful game.

"In the 1970 World Cup, the first one seen on TV around most of the world, they established the World Cup as this event where we all want to down tools for four weeks every four years and just follow the football.

"The World Cup is the house that Pele built.

"It's extremely fitting that his last days on Earth were spent while the World Cup was happening in Qatar. He could follow it, but more importantly the world of football could pass a message of love and respect to him, and I think that's something he greatly appreciated."

Phil Dawkes
BBC Sport

Mexico 1970 was an explosion of colour, and no side possessed a richer palette than Brazil.

In a tournament televised live and in full technicolour for the first time to a global audience who only a year earlier had witnessed Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, the balletic movement and sublime skill of those clad in vibrant canary yellow and cobalt blue was an apt giant leap into a bold and brilliant new footballing world.

Empowered to use their independence and intelligence as well as their ability by Saldanha's successor Mario Zagallo, a former team-mate of Pele's in '58 and '62, theirs was a football beholden to attack.

Blessed with a plethora of number 10s, Zagallo found a way to accommodate them all - Jairzinho and Rivellino operating in versatile wide roles, Tostao as a false nine and Gerson playing deeper in midfield.

At the centre of it all was Pele, a magnet for the ball on the field and for eyeballs off it, his every touch meaningful, his every forward run simmering with intent and possibility.

His game had always centred around control, pace, power and vision, but here they combined in perfect synchronisation with his evolution as a player.

In '58 he was raw, in '62 he was injured, in '66 he was hampered but in 1970 he was experienced, fit, free and focused. This was uncut, flawless Pele and he dazzled like never before.

Read more of this article here.

Former England striker and BBC Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker remembers Brazil legend Pele, including his experience of watching him win the 1970 World Cup.

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Please use the methods above to get in touch with your memories of Pele.

Image source, Getty Images

US President Joe Biden paid tribute to the late footballing great, tweeting:, external "For a sport that brings the world together like no other, Pele's rise from humble beginnings to soccer legend is a story of what is possible."

Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro said: "Sorrow for the passing of a man who through football took the name of Brazil to the world. He turned football into art and joy."

Former US president Barack Obama said Pele was "one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game", adding: "And as one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together."

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said Pele "left a mark even on the generations who weren't lucky enough to see him play".

And president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said: "I had the privilege that younger Brazilians didn't have: I saw Pele play, live, at Pacaembu and Morumbi. Play, no. I saw Pele give a show. Because when he got the ball he always did something special, which often ended up in a goal."

Image source, Getty Images

Former World Cup-winning Brazil striker Ronaldo said: "Unique. Genius. Technical. Creative. Perfect. Unequalled.

"Where Pele has gone, he has stayed. Never having left the top, he leaves us today.

"The king of football - one and only. The greatest of all time.

"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."

Image source, Reuters

Brazil forward Neymar said "King" Pele "changed everything" in a tribute to the football legend.

"Before Pele, football was only a sport," Neymar wrote on Instagram., external

"Pele changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to black people."

He added: "Mainly: he gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil raised their status thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will remain.

"Pele is forever."

Paris St-Germain forward Neymar equalled Pele's scoring record for Brazil at the recent World Cup.

Tributes to Pele have been plentiful and have come from all corners of the globe - from ex-players and former opponents, to current presidents.

We will bring you a selection of those in due course.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Former England midfielder Alan Mullery and legendary commentator Barry Davies are among the people sharing their memories of Pele on a special edition of 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

You can listen to, or download, the podcast here.

BBC Sport's Joe Wilson looks back at the life of Brazil football legend Pele, arguably the greatest player of all time.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Pele is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, the iconic sporting figure for a country that regards itself as the game's spiritual home.

Pele's greatness can be measured by the simple fact that he could make football a spectacle of natural grace and beauty when he missed as much as when he scored.

One of the game's first global personalities, he scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 games and layered his brilliance across a career spanning from his start as a teenager with Santos to a finish as a money-spinner at New York Cosmos.

And wherever football is played, the name of Pele will synonymous with it.

Read more from BBC Sport's chief football writer here.

Pele is the only footballer to win the World Cup three times - in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

Click on the video below to enjoy some of his best goals at the tournament.

This video is available to UK users only.

Today we will continue to bring you tributes to Pele following his death at the age of 82.

You can also share your memories of Pele, via #bbcfootball on Twitter, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply).

President Jair Bolsonaro has declared three days of national mourning in Brazil.

Pele had been suffering with kidney and prostate problems in recent years. He had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon in September 2021 at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, after the tumour was detected in routine tests. He was readmitted to hospital in late November 2022.

His daughter Kely Nascimento has kept fans updated on her father's condition with regular social media updates from hospital.

On Thursday she posted a picture of what appeared to be Pele's family's hands on his body in hospital and wrote: "Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace."

Pele is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country.

He won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and was named Fifa's Player of the Century in 2000.

Image source, EPA

On Thursday, sport lost one of its biggest icons.

Brazil football legend Pele, the only player to win the World Cup three times and for many people the greatest footballer ever, has died aged 82.