RIP Pele: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo Pay Heartwarming Tribute To Soccer Legend

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to Pele who died at the age of 82 on Friday.

Pele, arguably the greatest soccer player ever, is the only player to win the FIFA World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970. The Brazil great was named FIFA's Player of the Century in 2000.

The former Santos star had been suffering from kidney and prostate problems in recent years. He "peacefully passed away" Friday following a month-long hospital stay in Sao Paulo. He was being treated for complications linked to colon cancer that was first diagnosed in September last year.

"Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever," Pele's official Twitter account posted.

As soon as the news broke, many soccer stars took to social media to pay their respects to Pele, and among them was the legendary duo of Messi and Ronaldo.

Along with a message for Pele and his family, Ronaldo shared a photo of the two men shaking hands after the Portuguese forward received the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year trophy.

"My deepest condolences to all of Brazil, and in particular to the family of Mr. Edson Arantes do Nascimento. A mere 'goodbye' to the eternal King Pele will never be enough to express the pain that currently grips the entire world of football. An inspiration for so many millions, a reference of yesterday, today, forever," wrote Ronaldo in an Instagram post.

"The affection he always showed me was reciprocated in every moment we shared, even at a distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will live forever in every football lover's memory. Rest in peace, King Pele," Ronaldo added.

Messi's message was rather simple. He just wrote, "Rest in peace, @pele" and the post was accompanied by three images. In two of those pictures, Messi is seen next to 'O Rei'. Another image showed the Pele celebrating with the Canarinha.

On Monday morning, Pele's body will be moved from the hospital to the Santos' Estadio Urbano Caldeira stadium for the public to pay their final respects. On Tuesday, there will be a procession through the streets of Santos in Sao Paulo to a private family burial.