Considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, Pele will celebrate his 80th birthday on Friday, confined to his home in Brazil because of COVID-19 but meeting the milestone with his trademark laugh. "The King" has suffered from a series of health problems in recent years, but has not lost his charisma or sense of humour.

"I'm fine, it's just I won't be able to play" on his birthday, he joked this week in a video conversation with the head of the Brazilian Football Confederation. The only player in history to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970), Pele plans to celebrate his birthday quietly.
But several tributes are planned in Brazil, from an exhibit in his honour at the Sao Paulo Football Museum to a mural designed by renowned street artist Kobra in Santos.