Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue was illuminated with Pele’s bright yellow football shirt to mark the anniversary of his death.

The Brazilian “king of football”, who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died aged 82 on 29 December 2022.

On Friday night, the 98-foot (30 metre) statue, which towers above the city, was lit up with an image of the yellow and green national jersey.

The shirt projected onto the Christ figure, with its arms wide open, included Pele’s number 10 and the legend’s signature.

The monument, viewed as a global symbol of Christianity, was inaugurated nearly 100 years ago and welcomes millions of tourists each year.

In 2017, it was elected as one of the new seven Wonders of the World.

Pele, originally named Edson Arantes do Nascimento, underwent treatment for colon cancer from 2021 and the medical centre where he had been treated said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the illness.

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Brazil observed three days of national mourning after his death, as 230,000 people went to view his open casket in the 16,000-seat Vila Belmirostadium where he lay in state for 24 hours.

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His coffin was carried through the streets of Santos, a satellite city of Sao Paulo, where he grew up and spent almost his entire club career, scoring more than 1,000 goals.

During his international career, he won three World Cups – in 1958, 1962 and 1970 – the only player to achieve this.

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