New York fans pay tribute to Brazilian icon who brought soccer to the US

Admirers of Pele gather in Times Square and eulogize the three-time world champion and New York Cosmos crowd-pleaser

Fans of Pele gathered at the store dedicated to him in New York's Times Square on Thursday, to memorialize and celebrate a soccer player who electrified the city when he signed with the New York Cosmos in 1975 on a three-year, $7m (5.8m) contract, a deal that made the 34yearold player the highestpaid team athlete in the world.

I grew up hearing about Pele," said Larisa Belyansky in front of a wall celebrating the king of football. The style of his play was so different, the way he moved." We remember him as the greatest player", said her husband, Alex, because he was the only one to win three World Cups."