In world sports, there are few names more iconic than that of Brazilian soccer legend Pele.
In a game loved by millions around the globe, he is arguably the greatest player ever to have graced a pitch — winning the World Cup three times with Brazil (in 1958, 1962 and 1970) and transforming himself into one of the most recognizable faces on the planet in the process.
At the age of 70, his popularity shows no signs of waning. A brief trip to Japan earlier this week — where he laid flowers at a spot overlooking the damage wreaked by the March 11 tsunami in Yuriage, Miyagi Prefecture, before meeting children at a nearby school — carried with it the superstar presence that only the truly famous can impart.