While the whole world mourns the death of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the great Pele, the world symbol of sports and the great philanthropist, the Hublot watchmaker mourns the loss of a close friend and expresses his deepest condolences to his wife Marcia and family. As the CEO of the Swiss company, Ricardo Guadalupe, said: “It is with deep sorrow that we learned that Pele has passed away. He was the king of football, an icon, a champion and a truly wonderful person. And he was our friend. Today we honor his amazing life and incredible achievements and remember the man who knew what it meant to be First, Unique, Great. Pele was a pioneer on and off the pitch. His performance and passion for racing will forever be remembered, and his legacy of bringing change and justice to those who needed it most will be an inspiration to generations to come. He was a truly great man and we are honored to know him, work with him and have the pleasure of calling him our friend. Pele, we will miss you, but you will always be with us. Hublot loves Pele!

Pelé gained worldwide fame while playing for the Brazil national team and his talent shone from a young age. During his brilliant career, he had the honor of winning the World Cup three times: in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He is the only football player in history who managed to lift the coveted trophy three times. To date, the Guinness World Record, which he holds with 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, is unbroken. He is also Brazil’s top scorer with 77 goals in 92 games. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee awarded him the title of “Athlete of the Century”, and on the occasion of his centenary, FIFA awarded him, along with Diego Maradona, the title of “Football Players of the Century”. Of course, in his native Brazil, he is simply referred to as “The King”.

Pele hung up his shoes in 1977 and has since devoted himself to humanism. He became a global ambassador for sport, peace and understanding, promoting various philanthropic initiatives he considered important, using the common language of football to overcome obstacles. He fought to eradicate leprosy in Brazil, and in 1994 became a UNICEF ambassador working to improve the living conditions and education of children in the world’s poorest areas.

Pelé’s friendship with Hublot began in 2013 when the Brazilian ace became a brand ambassador. It was he who, in 2014, introduced Hublot’s official Brazil World Cup countdown clock, a watch designed by his compatriot, renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer. This was followed by a joint initiative between Pelé and Hublot to build a football stadium in Rio de Janeiro’s Sacarezinho favela, which was inaugurated during the World Cup that year.

One of the most memorable events happened on the eve of UEFA EURO 2016 when Hublot helped organize a friendly match between the two teams led by Pelé and Maradona. King Pelé’s last public appearance with Hublot was in 2019, in the company of his much younger – and, by many, his successor – Kylian Mbappé, Hublot ambassador, already a well-known French star and Paris Saint-Germain player, who in 2018 was the youngest player since Pelé to score in a World Cup final.

Pele passed away on December 29, 2022, surrounded by his family. He gave a new dimension to football, humanity and Hublot. Hublot thanks this truly great champion, player and person.