Kate Middleton and Prince William Post Tribute to Pelé: 'A True Football Icon'

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Prince William and Kate Middleton are remembering Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, who died at 82 on Thursday.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 40, reposted Team England's tribute to the sports icon on their official social media pages. The three-time World Cup champion died in São Paulo after a progression of colon cancer, The New York Times reported.

"Paying tribute to a true football icon. Rest in peace, Pelé," the retweet read, captioning a picture of Wembley Stadium's tribute to the late soccer star. The arch of the iconic London venue was lit up in yellow and green — the colors of the Brazilian flag and the national team's uniforms — while Pelé's name, years of birth and death, and photo flashed on TV screens.

Prince William is a serious soccer fan and serves as President of the Football Association of England. In a family connection, his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II had the honor of presenting Pelé and the Santos team with the trophy at Maracanã Stadium in Rio De Janeiro in 1968. In the image, Pelé triumphantly lifts the cup over his head, while the Queen (then 42) and Prince Philip smile beside him.

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Pelé — who was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on Oct. 23, 1940, in the small city of Tres Coracoes — is widely considered to be one of the greatest soccer players ever to grace the sport.

For nearly 20 years, he played for Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team, becoming the game's most prolific scorer in the process. His success earned him the nickname "The King," and made the image of his trademark celebratory leap — his fist propelled over his head — instantly burned into the minds of soccer fans globally.

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The name Pelé came to him at a young age, he told The Guardian in 2006, after he mispronounced Bilé, the nickname of a goalie on his father's team.

He retired from soccer on Oct. 1, 1977, nearly two years after he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. His final exhibition, in front of a record 77,000 soccer fans in New Jersey, was particularly special because it was between the Cosmos and Santos.

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To honor his long career, Pelé played half the game with each club.

Pelé is survived by six of his seven children and his wife, businesswoman Marcia Cibele Aoki.