Pele: When the Greatest of All Time Met President Nelson Mandela

• The world was plunged into mourning following the death of footballing pioneer Pele
• The Brazilian all-time great passed away on Thursday after a long battle with cancer
• Pele transcended the Beautiful Game, earning respect and admiration across the world

The great Pele is no more.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento passed away on Thursday in Sao Paolo after a long battle with cancer. The news was met with shock and sadness, with tributes pouring in from all corners of the planet for football's king.

The three-time FIFA World Cup winner's footballing exploits made him one of the rare sportspeople to transcend his discipline, becoming revered and respected by the great and the unknown the world over.

This saw him and the late president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela cross paths regularly in the latter stages of the statesman's life, after Madiba's release from prison in 1990.

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They first met each other in March 1995, barely a year into Madiba's tenure as South Africa's first democratically-elected president.

Pele was in the country in his capacity as Brazil's sports minister at the time, part of a delegation with the mission of fostering a relationship between both countries at the state level and beyond, as per IOL.

They had several other encounters as a respected statesmen and a sporting great respectively, including the time when Pele was in the country to celebrate Mandela's 89th birthday in July 2007.

The festivities included '90 Minutes for Mandela', a legendary charity match pitting past and present footballers from Africa against a 'Rest of the World' XI, as reported by SowetanLIVE.

Madiba once said of Pele:

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"To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child, combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full."

Pele: Brazil declares mourning period

Brazil has declared three days of national mourning, following the death of pioneering superstar Pele - whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento.

Pele passed on to eternal glory on December 29 after a long battle with cancer. Following news of his passing, the mourning period was announced by outgoing President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro.

Tributes have poured in from world leaders, football stars, and fans across the globe for the three-time World Cup winner.