London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 17, 2026

Premier League and EFL honour Pele

Premier League and EFL honour Pele

Premier League and English Football League clubs wore black armbands and held a minute's applause before kick-off in Friday's games in honour of Brazil legend Pele.

The Scottish Professional Football League has also suggested all clubs pay their respects with a minute's applause or "other appropriate gesture".

Three-time World Cup winner Pele passed away on Thursday at the age of 82.

Brazil has declared three days of national mourning as tributes pour in.

The Premier League tributes began at West Ham v Brentford, with the iconic image of Pele embracing Bobby Moore shown on the big screen at London Stadium.

In the later kick-off, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and midfielder Jordan Henderson placed flowers on the centre circle at Anfield before the side's match against Leicester.

All 10 Premier League games over the weekend will hold similar tributes.

Speaking after Liverpool's 2-1 win over Leicester, Alisson told BBC Sport: "I believe everyone from the world of football is feeling something about his loss. We Brazilians are grieving. He is a huge loss but at this moment we have to look to the things that he did because he changed the world of football, not just for Brazilians but for everybody.

"There is a lot of talk about who was the best and who is the best, but for us he is the best of all time. What he did on the pitch reflected the nation, he put the Brazilian flag at the highest standard, not just him but his team-mates as well."

A minute's applause and black armbands were also seen at EFL fixtures on Friday and other clubs will follow suit on 1 and 2 January.

Football's world governing body Fifa has lowered flags at its headquarters in Switzerland to half-mast for Pele "as a symbol of mourning and respect".

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) says it has "arranged a minute's silence to remember Pele," in forthcoming games, while Pele's contribution to the sport will similarly be recognised at matches in Spain and France this weekend.


At Liverpool v Leicester, players placed flowers in the centre circle

Managers have also paid respect, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola saying Pele made football "a better place" for his ability to give people an emotional connection to the sport.

"There's not another show or event that can produce this type of emotion. It's part of what these exceptional players do," Guardiola explained.

"Football is football thanks to these types of people, players, human beings. Before, the number 10 was just a number and after him it became something special. Every top player wanted to wear number 10 in their team.

"What he has done for football is there and always will remain.

"These type of players will be forever, they will be eternal."

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte said Pele was "one of the most important players in the world. We are talking about the story of football".

He added: "I was lucky to know him and honestly I am really sad for his death. Also because Pele was a person who was an important person for football. One of the most popular. Maybe the most popular player in football.

"His behaviour, it was always a person who lived without arrogance and showed always to be a humble person despite, in my opinion with [Diego] Maradona being the best players in the world."

Arsenal's Mikel Arteta said: "He was probably the most complete player that the game has ever seen, and it is a big loss."

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe hailed the Brazil great as an "absolute giant" of football.

"In my era, you grew up knowing of Pele, thinking of him as the best player the world had ever seen at that moment," Howe added.

"It's very, very sad. Whenever an icon passes away, it's a very sad moment for football. Seeing the reaction of everybody, media, everyone connected with football, he's certainly well remembered around the world."

Everton manager Frank Lampard said: "The reach of his game was huge and has stayed. That name will continue for ever more. It's a sad day for football."

The Scottish Professional Football League's chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "Scottish football fans appreciate skill, class and achievement, and no player in the game better typified those qualities than Pele."

Fulham will pay tribute to Pele before their celebrations of the life of club stalwart and 1966 World Cup winner George Cohen.

Cohen died on 23 December and Fulham's home match against Southampton on Saturday will be their first game at Craven Cottage since his passing.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
Bank of England Warns Rising Inflation Could Squeeze UK Household Incomes
UK Government Announces £65 Million Aid Package for Farmers Hit by Severe Drought
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Energy Market Pressures
UK Issues Emergency Alert as Severe Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Cash Flow and Tax Pressures
Greatham Marsh Restoration Restores Tidal Wetland in Hartlepool After More Than 200 Years
UK Health Regulator Urges University Students to Check Meningitis and Measles Vaccination Status
Mining Remediation Authority Completes Major Ground Stabilization Works in Scottish Community
UK Food Crime Investigators Seize 33 Tonnes of Illegal Food in Multi-Agency Operation
Technical Qualification Uptake Hits Record High as Advanced Mathematics Results Improve
UK Summer Temperatures on Course to Challenge Long-Standing Records, Met Office Says
UK Farmers Bring Forward Cereal Harvests as Drought Threatens Yields
×