Brazil Pays Tributes to Pelé One Year after His Death

View of a statue depicting Brazilian football legend Pelé, design by Brazilian artist Luis Costa, at Rei Pele pier, in Sao Vicente, coast of Sao Paulo state, Brazil, taken on December 19, 2023. (AFP)
View of a statue depicting Brazilian football legend Pelé, design by Brazilian artist Luis Costa, at Rei Pele pier, in Sao Vicente, coast of Sao Paulo state, Brazil, taken on December 19, 2023. (AFP)
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Brazil Pays Tributes to Pelé One Year after His Death

View of a statue depicting Brazilian football legend Pelé, design by Brazilian artist Luis Costa, at Rei Pele pier, in Sao Vicente, coast of Sao Paulo state, Brazil, taken on December 19, 2023. (AFP)
View of a statue depicting Brazilian football legend Pelé, design by Brazilian artist Luis Costa, at Rei Pele pier, in Sao Vicente, coast of Sao Paulo state, Brazil, taken on December 19, 2023. (AFP)

Brazilians paid several tributes to soccer legend Pelé on Friday, one year after the three-time World Cup winner's death at age 82 due to a colon cancer.

A ceremony held at Rio de Janeiro's Christ the redeemer, one of the South American nation's most famous postcard locations, featured a projection of a Brazil shirt with Pelé's name and number 10 on the statue and a message from Pope Francis. Pelé was a devout Catholic throughout his life.

“Pelé, as Mr. Edson Arantes do Nascimento became globally known, was undoubtedly an athlete who showed in his life all positive traits of a sportsman. The memory of ‘the King of Soccer’ remains indelible in the minds of many, and it stimulates new generations to seek in sport a means to strengthen the bonds of unity among us,” the pontiff said in a letter as a local orchestra played.

Other religious ceremonies were held at the Museu Pelé in Santos, the port city he put on the map with his goals and success for Santos FC, and in the small city of Tres Corações, where do Nascimento was born in 1940.

Santos FC also held a tribute at its Vila Belmiro Stadium, where Edson Cholbi do Nascimento, one of Pelé's sons, released 10 white ballons from the center circle. Pelé's funeral was held at the stadium.

Soccer's governing body FIFA also paid its respects with a video of highlights of the Brazilian great with a message: "Pelé’s legacy will always live on."

Earlier this year, a Brazilian dictionary chose to pay a tribute to Pelé by adding his name as an adjective to use when describing someone who is “exceptional, incomparable, unique.”

The announcement by the Michaelis dictionary on Wednesday is part of a campaign that gathered more than 125,000 signatures to honor the late soccer great’s impact beyond his sport.

Pelé spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team. In the conversation about soccer’s greatest, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside.



McLaren Boss Calls for Permanent F1 Stewards after Herbert Axed

Formula One F1 - Las Vegas Grand Prix - Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States - November 21, 2024 McLaren chief executive Zak Brown before practice REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein a
Formula One F1 - Las Vegas Grand Prix - Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States - November 21, 2024 McLaren chief executive Zak Brown before practice REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein a
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McLaren Boss Calls for Permanent F1 Stewards after Herbert Axed

Formula One F1 - Las Vegas Grand Prix - Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States - November 21, 2024 McLaren chief executive Zak Brown before practice REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein a
Formula One F1 - Las Vegas Grand Prix - Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States - November 21, 2024 McLaren chief executive Zak Brown before practice REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein a

McLaren boss Zak Brown called for permanent stewards in Formula One after the governing FIA dropped former racer Johnny Herbert on Wednesday, arguing his work as a media pundit was incompatible with the role.

Brown, whose team won the constructors' title last season, told the Autosport Business Exchange conference in London that McLaren would happily pay their share of the cost of professional officials.

Stewards are largely unpaid volunteers, other than travel expenses, appointed by the FIA on race-by-race basis to ensure the rules are applied consistently and fairly during race weekends and handing out punishments as necessary.

"I don't think we're set up for success by not having full-time stewards," said Brown.

"As far as paying for stewards, this will probably be unpopular amongst my fellow teams (but) I'm happy if McLaren and all the racing teams contribute. I think it's so important for the sport.

"It can't be that expensive. If everyone contributes it's not going to break the bank."

Herbert, a three-times race winner from 160 starts who competed for an array of F1 teams in the 1980s and 1990s and won the Le Mans 24 Hours, had been scheduled to officiate at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 16.

The 60-year-old former Sky Sports F1 pundit angered four-times world champion Max Verstappen and father Jos last season for media comments about the Red Bull driver's track behaviour, according to Reuters.

"It is with regret that we announce today that Johnny Herbert will no longer fulfil the position of F1 driver steward for the FIA," the governing body said in a statement.

"Johnny is widely respected and brought invaluable experience and expertise to his role. However, after discussion, it was mutually agreed that his duties as an FIA steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible.

"We thank him for his service and wish him well in his future endeavours."

There was no immediate comment from Herbert, one of the stewards in Mexico City last season who handed Verstappen two 10-second penalties for aggressive moves on his McLaren title rival Lando Norris.

"Those penalties in Mexico won’t stop Max Verstappen from pushing Lando Norris off the track in the future," the Briton commented afterwards, referring to the Dutch driver's driving style as "harsh".

"I am such a big fan of Verstappen and it frustrates me massively when he drives the way he did in Mexico," he added.

The Briton has continued to offer opinions, circulated in the media, for betting websites.