Brazil's football fans encourage squad to win the World Cup for Pele.

At the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, tens of thousands of singing and dancing Brazil supporters have been supporting their side, but they have also been silently praying for their "king," Pele.

These supporters made a straightforward demand of the team after Brazil easily defeated South Korea to advance to the quarterfinals: Win the World Cup for Pele.

Pele, real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, has been battling colon cancer and was recently admitted to the hospital after contracting a respiratory infection. He was a member of the 1958, 1962, and 1970 World Cup-winning squads for Brazil.

Arlem, a Rio de Janeiro-based Brazil supporter, said, pointing to an imagined crown above her head, "For us, Pele is the king." "We cherish him. Because of our admiration for him, we hope he lives a long and healthy life and can see Brazil win the World Cup.

Some of the fans in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup were fortunate enough to see Pele in action, while many others grew up hearing about his greatness and seeing old recordings of his goal-scoring skills.

Flamenco claimed that Pele stands apart among all those who have come before and after him because of his accomplishments. "Pele is a great player, and Lionel Messi was excellent, but Diego Maradona was really good, too. How can anyone compete with him after winning three World Cups?

A Colombian couple named Ronnie and Mary Portillo who grew up watching Pele work his magic concurred. He elevated the sport as he gained in stature, Mary remarked.

With 77 goals in 92 games, Pele is at the top of the list of all-time goal scorers for Brazil. Brazilians are the best players because they always play jogo bonito, according to Mary, who credited Pele and his Brazilian team from the 1960s for popularizing the term.

On Monday night, there was plenty of jogo bonito on display as Brazil scored four goals in their first World Cup quarterfinal game and tried to add many more.

The icon himself issued a rallying cry to the players before they hit the field at Stadium 974. Pele informed the Brazil team in a message on his Instagram account on Monday that he will be watching the match from his hospital bed.

The team themselves raised a big Pele banner as they shared their victory with the crowd. Following their victory, the players announced they would like to raise the trophy in Pele's honour. Vinícius Júnior, who scored Brazil's opening goal, stated, "He needs a lot of strength from us and this victory is for him, so that he can get out of this position and that we can be champions for him."

In the stadium, Selecao (the name of the Brazilian club) supporters wearing yellow shirts joyfully celebrated their side's victory. But they experienced a distinct set of feelings just by saying Pele's name.

Sao Paulo native Renato Pelaquim had trouble putting into words what Pele had meant to several generations of Brazilians.

With his football, he "placed Brazil on the map of the globe" and "gave many years of hope and joy to the Brazilian people," according to Pelaquim. Pele "brought incalculable satisfaction to people who had seen years of suffering and misery by bringing three World Cup trophies to Brazil."

Pelaquim asserted that it is now time for the stars of Brazil's current generation to stand up for their hero.

He stated, "We need this team to do the same and make people forget their agony and grant Pele his dying desire since our country is going through an economic and political instability again."