'Greatest of All Time': Pelé as Described By His Peers

Pele reacts after heading the ball during a soccer match between the Cosmos and the Toronto Metro-Croatia in New York's Downing Stadium, June 19, 1975. Pelé, the Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died in Sao Paulo on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. He was 82. (AP Photo/ Richard Drew, File)

(AP) -- Pele has been praised over the decades by everyone from world leaders to artists. Here are superlatives from over the years about Pele, who died Thursday in Brazil at age 82:

___