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SAO PAULO — Pelé will be famous for 15 centuries. The Brazilian soccer star said Andy Warhol told him that. It was a twist on something else the American artist is widely credited with saying, that "in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Warhol made the soccer star's portrait in 1977, and Pelé took pride in turning his sports fame into decades of global affection and renown. For most Brazilians Pelé was a cultural and social phenomenon. He was the country's statesman without an office, a role he played since age 17. He usually took quiet political positions, if any.
