Pele dies: England World Cup winner Hurst hails Brazil legend as 'the greatest of all time'

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London, December 30: England great Geoff Hurst labelled Pele as "the greatest of all time" after the Brazil legend's death was confirmed on Thursday (December 29).

Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, had been moved to palliative care early in December after his body stopped responding to cancer treatment.

The 82-year-old's daughter announced his passing after his family travelled to be by his side at Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital before Christmas Day.

Tributes have flooded in for the footballing icon after he left a lasting legacy on Brazil and Santos, for whom he scored 643 goals in 659 matches over an 18-year period.

England's 1966 World Cup winner Hurst, who was the only man to score a hat-trick in the final of the tournament before Kylian Mbappe at Qatar 2022, believes no player compares to Pele.

"I have so many memories of Pele, without doubt the best footballer I ever played against (with Bobby Moore being the best footballer I ever played alongside)," Hurst wrote on Twitter.

"For me, Pele remains the greatest of all time and I was proud to be on the pitch with him. RIP Pele and thank you."