Brazilian football legend Pele (2nd R) donates a football to a BOCOG official during a media activity in front of the Forbiddent City in central Beijing, China, Aug. 23, 2008. Pele donated footballs and shirts with his autographs to children from China's quake-hit Sichuan Province during the activity. (Photo: Xinhua)
Credited for enlightening a country on the beauty of the beautiful game, Brazilian soccer legend Pele's death has set off widespread mourning in China, as his unparalleled career was celebrated and fondly remembered.
Pele died on Thursday age 82 in a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, after a long battle with colon cancer.
Known for his breathtaking soccer skills and huge accomplishments off the field, Pele was held in high regard in China. Media and notable figures in China's soccer community joined mourning fans around the world on Friday, and recalled his visits to the country.
Among the fond memories shared on Chinese social media were two international friendlies in 1977, when he first visited China. He put on a dazzling show in both matches to thrill Chinese soccer fans with an entertaining style of play they had never seen before.
Playing for the New York Cosmos on their Asian trip, Pele mesmerized a capacity crowd at Beijing's Workers' Stadium on Sept 17 with his deft skills and exceptional athleticism, even though he was in the twilight of his career. The nationally televised match against Team China ended in a 1-1 draw.
Three days later, Pele won over fans in Shanghai by scoring with a stunning second-half free kick in the Cosmos' 2-1 loss to Team China at the sold-out Jiangwan stadium.
Off the pitch, Pele's easygoing personality and interaction with Chinese players and fans saw his popularity soar, recalled Nian Weisi, then head coach of Team China.
"As same as fans nowadays adore star players such as (Lionel) Messi, we all looked up to Pele as an icon back then. Yet, he was so nice to us all during the trip and showed great interest in the sport's status in China, the culture here and everything," Nian said. "He had a smile on his face all the time and never refused requests for autographs or photos as far as I could recall."
Liu Guojiang, a former coach of China's military soccer team who watched both games in person, hailed Pele as a role model for his generation and others.
"He did his best on the field, respected his Chinese opponents and referees, even as a super star, and waved to the fans to acknowledge their support politely. He well deserved his high reputation," said Liu.
According to media reports, Pele visited China at least five more times. His appearances in China included the opening ceremony of the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, a visit to the Great Wall during a promotional event in 2002, and attending the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.