‘King’ Pele changed everything — Neymar

‘King’ Pele, the genius, won three world Cup titles for Brazil

• Ronaldo, Mbappe, Infantino, Joe Biden, Others Pay Tributes

Brazil forward, Neymar, says the late football icon, Pele, changed everything in the round leather game. Neymar’s comment came yesterday just as more tributes pour in for the late footballing legend.

Arguably the greatest player ever, Pele died at the age of 82 on Thursday and current and former players took to social media to pay their respects.

“Before Pele, football was only a sport,” Neymar wrote on Instagram. “Pele changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to black people.”

Neymar 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.”

France striker and Neymar’s Paris St-Germain team-mate, Kylian Mbappe, also described Pele as “the king of football”, adding “his legacy will never be forgotten”.

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.

The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele was named Fifa’s Player of the Century in 2000.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo said: “A mere goodbye to the eternal King Pele will never be enough to express the pain that is enveloping the whole of the football world right now.

“The care he always showed for me was reciprocated in every moment we shared, even when we were apart. “His memory will endure forever in every one of us who love football.”

Former World Cup-winning Brazil striker Ronaldo said: “Unique. Genius. Technical. Creative. Perfect. Unequalled. Where Pele has