President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over the death of Brazilian soccer legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pele, who died on Thursday.

The grief is expressed in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu.

The world’s greatest ever football player succumbed to death after suffering a debilitating bout of cancer.

He won three World Cups and scored over 1,281 goals, becoming the original football icon in a long career for which he was named the “Player of the Century” in the year 2000.

In a tribute to the football legend on behalf of all Nigerians, President Buhari says, “May he rest in peace. He led a good life and made a huge contribution to the development of global football in particular and world sport in general.

“He had an enormous generosity of spirit and humility despite his greatness as a footballer and sportsman. He also built bridges across nations, races and even religions. He was a UN Ambassador of goodwill. Pele is gone but the world will never forget him. RIP.”