The 'King' and the Queen: Bewitched by Pele, Elizabeth II made him a Knight

FILE PHOTO: Former soccer star and Brazil's minister for sport Pele, (L), shows off his KBE (Knight Commander of the British Empire) medal awarded to him [by Queen Elizabeth II December 3. Pele joined President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil for a visit to Chelsea football club as part of the President's four-day state visit to ]Britain./File Photo

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - In 2022, Britain lost its queen and Brazil its soccer 'king' - two giant figures of the 20th century who crossed paths at least twice over the years.

Former Pele team mate Gerson recalled one of those times in an interview with Reuters this week. The year was 1968, and Elizabeth was guest of honor at a soccer match at Rio de Janeiro's monumental Maracana stadium during an official visit to Brazil. After the game, she presented Pele with a trophy.