Pele net worth: Huge wealth, real estate, expensive things owned by football icon at the time of his death

Pele, the first global icon of football and one of the greatest players of all time, passed away on Thursday at the age of 82. International tributes to the Brazil icon and three-time World Cup champion have flooded in.

After a protracted illness, Pele passed away at the hospital. It was alleged that he was suffering from colon cancer and that he had ceased responding to treatments. Pele's family just celebrated Christmas with her in the hospital where he was hospitalised.

For decades after retiring, Pelé pulled in millions of dollars through endorsement agreements with companies like Puma.

Pelé now holds several notable records in the top league, including the record for most goals scored (541). He's scored 1297 times in all competitions. The Brazilian people regard Pelé in the highest esteem since he scored 77 goals in a single season, a record that stands to this day.

After hanging up his cleats, Pelé strove to improve the lives of the disadvantaged in Brazil as a political activist and championed football on a worldwide scale.  In the end, Pelés amassed an official fortune of $100 million USD.

At 15, Pelé's career with Santos FC started when he impressed the coach with his outstanding talents. In 1956, he signed his first professional contract and made his debut that season, scoring in his first game.

By the time he was 16, he led all scorers in the Brazilian league. The Brazilian national team's quick ascent to the 1958 and 1962 World Cups is in large part due to his efforts.

In spite of multiple major clubs vying for Pelé's services, the Brazilian legend remained strongly tied to Santos and Brazil. His team's success continued, as they took home the Intercontinental Cup in 1962 and the Copa Libertadores in 1963. In 1969, the two sides at the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour cease-fire so that they could both see Pelé play in a stadium in Lagos.

Also, READ: Pele survived by wife Marcia Aoki, several children: Know all about football legend’s family

Although Pelé never played for a top club like Real Madrid, he did agree to sign for the New York Cosmos after the 1974 season (despite numerous offers).

Pelé's international career got off to a roaring start when he won the 1958 World Cup with Brazil by beating Sweden in the final. Though he was out for the most of the 1962 World Cup with an injury, he still helped Brazil win the championship. After the catastrophic 1966 tournament, Pelé came back and won the World Cup a second time in 1970.