Today, news broke on social media that Pele, the "King of Football", had passed away at the age of 82. The Brazilian soccer legend rose from poverty to become one of the most prominent and influential athletes in modern sports history.
According to Reuters, Billy died of a colon tumor after several trips to and from the hospital during his life.
Billy, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, holds the world record with 1,281 goals and is the only player to have won the World Cup of soccer three times.
With his exceptional skill and charisma, Billy helped make soccer the world's most popular sport, winning the hearts of popes, presidents and even Hollywood stars during his 70-year career as a player and soccer ambassador.
Billy was born on October 23, 1940 in the small town of Tres Corazones, Brazil. From an early age, he learned to play soccer from his semi-professional father, who was unable to continue his illustrious playing career due to a knee injury.
There are many different stories about Billy's youth, including why he was called "The King". It is said that he played goalkeeper in a neighborhood tournament, and the children compared him to a local player named Bile, but mispronounced the name, and over time he became known as Pele.
Whatever the truth, Billy soon attracted the attention of scouts who were convinced that he was more suited to playing as a striker than a goalkeeper, and he ended up wearing the number 10 shirt.
Billy was well-rounded and respected for his skills. He is skillful with both feet, has incredible speed and stamina, and can top, pass, scoop and score goals as well.
At the age of 15, he joined Brazil's Santos team and built the small coastal city team into one of the best in soccer.
During his illustrious 18-year career with Santos, Billy collected the glory of Brazilian soccer, winning the Copa Libertadores twice and the Intercontinental Cup of the Year twice for the best team in Europe and South America.
Billy's talent was quickly recognized by the national team, and at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, despite advice from psychologists not to allow him to play at the age of 17, Billy put in a stunning performance, scoring a hat-trick in the quarter-final against France to help Brazil advance, and scoring in the final to win the World Cup for Brazil for the first time.
In the 1962 World Cup, he played only two matches due to injury, but Brazil eventually defended its title. 1970 World Cup, a mature Billy led Brazil to a third title, and that team is considered the strongest in history.
Brnich, the Italian defender who was in charge of Billy's defense in the 1970 World Cup final, once said, "I told myself before the game that he was just like any other normal guy, but I was wrong."
Billy retired for a time in 1974, but bad investments led to bankruptcy, and the following year he accepted an offer to join the North American Soccer League for a staggering $1 million a year.
Billy's charisma endeared him to even the coolest of New Yorkers. He socialized with celebrities and dined with such luminaries as Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and Andy Warhol at New York's famous nightclub, Club 54.
Despite this, Billy remains sober and stays off alcohol and drugs, stating that he wants to protect his body and set an example for his children.
However, he also admitted to other "weaknesses". He had been divorced twice, had had several affairs and admitted to being the father of two illegitimate children.
While playing in North America, Billy led the New York Cosmos to a league championship in 1977, drawing millions of fans to a once inaccessible sport.
A few years later, the U.S. won the right to host the 1994 World Cup, and the head of the U.S. Soccer Federation called Billy "the most important" reason for that.
Billy played 1366 games in his career, scoring 1281 goals for a 94% average. Some of these matches were friendlies or as a soldier, and his official record is 812 matches and 757 goals.
Billy has had health problems in recent years, including hip surgery that has left him in constant pain and struggling to walk independently. He has reduced his public appearances but remains active on social media.
Billy leaves behind six known children, with his seventh child, whom he did not recognize for many years, dying of cancer in 2006.
Shortly after the news of Billy's death was announced, Paris Saint-Germain's French-born star Kylian Mbappe immediately posted on social media, "The King of Football is gone from us, but his legend will live on, RIP Ballon d'Or."
Lionel Messi, the Argentine star who just won the World Cup, posted: "May Billy rest in peace."
Brazilian star Neymar said Billy "turned soccer into an art."
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo praised Billy for inspiring millions of people.
