The prince gave a crown to the king. While he is still hospitalized in a worrying state at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, Pelé received one more distinction: he was named “best player in history” by the American beer brand Budweiser. This trophy was therefore recovered by Neymar this Saturday. The PSG player did not miss the opportunity to slip a quick note to the address of his glorious elder.
“Today is a very special day for me. I wanted to share with you that I have been invited by Budweiser to honor Pelé with the ‘Player of History’ trophy. For me, it’s a huge honor to be part of this moment,” Neymar began in a video posted on Instagram.
The trophy in his hands, he also spoke of the importance in his life of the triple world champion: “As you know, Pelé is part of my story. “The King”, our affection and our respect for you will be eternal. The tribute is beautiful and very important not only because Pelé is the only player to have won three World Cups, but also because there were several “players of the match”.
“He was the best player in history”
In addition to the video, Neymar, who equaled his eldest’s record for goals during the World Cup by opening the scoring in extra time against Croatia (77), also published a photo of him and the trophy with an anaphora and an enumeration of superlatives to designate Pelé. “The one who made football his kingdom. The one who, instead of creating wars, stopped one. The one who used his power to charm the world. One who challenged sovereignty. The one who was revered”, he wrote before concluding with a “he was the best player in history”.
A fine tribute to King Pelé, whose state of health is causing concern. In a statement released last Wednesday, doctors said the 82-year-old Brazilian’s colon cancer was “progressing” and that he needed “greater care to treat kidney and heart failure.”