CELEBRITY
‘Your legacy will be eternal’: sporting world pays tribute to Pele
The sporting world continue to express its sorrow at the death of one of its greatest heroes on Friday, bidding farewell to Brazilian soccer legend Pele with a flood of heartfelt tributes.
In Nigeria, the President General of the Nigeria Football and other Sports Suppoters’ Club, Dr. Rafiu Oladipo remarked: “The greatest football player Pele has passed. The world will never forget him. On behalf of genuine soccer followers accross the world, we pray his soul continue to rest in peace. His legacy lives for ever.”
Also, the President of CAF Dr Patrice Motsepe expressed the condolences of Football on the African Continent on the passing of Football Icon Pelé.
Dr Motsepe said: “Pelé was a unique inspiration to the African Continent and to football lovers worldwide and his death is a huge loss for supporters and fans of football globally.
“We have on several occasions over the past 18 months used his statement that an African Nation will win the FIFA World Cup by the year 2000, as a source of inspiration to motivate the African Nations participating in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
“We have also been inspired by the work he did and his commitment to improve the living conditions of the poor and marginalized. Pelé will forever live in the hearts and minds of football lovers in Africa and worldwide.
Brazil’s Pele, a prolific goalscorer who won the World Cup an unprecedented three times as a player in 1958, 1962 and 1970, died on Thursday aged 82 after a long battle with cancer.
World soccer’s governing body FIFA lowered all flags at its headquarters in Zurich “as a symbol of mourning and respect,” while the Premier League, EFL and A-League said they would pay tribute to the soccer great through a minute’s applause before games.
The Premier League and EFL added that players will wear black armbands during this weekend’s matches, while Spain’s LaLiga said it would observe a minute’s silence ahead of games.
Several footballers took to social media to pay tribute to Pele, with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah sharing a picture of the icon on Instagram, writing in the caption: “Farewell to a legend of football.”
Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric said Pele was “one of the greatest of all time,” while Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi posted a black and white photo of a young Pele smiling, writing on Twitter, “your legacy will be eternal.”
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) said all A-League games this weekend will hold a minute’s applause before kick-off to pay tribute to “an icon”.
The minute’s applause was observed ahead of Western United’s home game against Brisbane Roar on Friday.
Brazilian tennis player Thiago Monteiro said it was a sad day for Brazil.
“Pele was our biggest idol in sports. He did so much even for the country, to showing Brazil to the world, and we had a lot of respect for him,” Monteiro told reporters.
Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar said Pele’s death was “a great loss to not just football but to the whole world of sports.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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