Pelé, the Brazilian soccer superstar widely regarded as one of the best to ever play the game, and also the author of books about the sport, has died at 82, the New York Times reports.

The legendary athlete was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in the city of Três Corações, Brazil. He began his career as a forward for Santos Futebol Clube, where he was a member of a group of players known as Os Santásticos—The Santastics—who became famous worldwide due to their success on the pitch.

After 18 years with Santos, he moved to the New York Cosmos, a team in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. He retired after three seasons with the club.

In 2010, the athlete published For the Love of Soccer!, a children’s book about the sport illustrated by Frank Morrison; a critic for Kirkus praised it as “a must-share for soccer enthusiasts of any age.” Four years after that, he released a book for adults, Why Soccer Matters, co-written with Brian Winter.

His admirers paid tribute to him on social media. Tennis star Chris Evert wrote on Twitter, “In the 70’s, Pele was my idol. He was an icon, larger than life. He was an ambassador, a humanitarian.…I will remember his unmatched athleticism and big smile.”

And former President Barack Obama tweeted, “Pelé was one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game. And as one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together. Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who loved and admired him.”

Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.