The partnership, which is part of a FIFA World Cup campaign, was announced at a media conference in Dubai, Emirates' home hub. This announcement marks the second time the airline has worked with a Global Ambassador to complement its FIFA

World Cup campaign, the first being Franz Beckenbauer during the 2006 tournament in Germany.

As part of the agreement, the two parties will work together on a number of initiatives over the coming months.

"Pelé is a global icon. He is recognised, respected and an inspiration to people around the world. He represents the best values of the beautiful game of soccer, not only because he was a great player but also because he uses the power of sports to connect people - with each other, with communities and with opportunities," HH Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates' divisional senior vice president of commercial operations, said in an official release on Tuesday.

"In many ways, Pelé stands for the same values that Emirates does. He is the ideal choice for our Global Ambassador and we are thrilled that we will be partnering with him."

Emirates is also linked to Pelé through the airline's sponsorship of the Cosmos team in New York City, where he is honorary chairman. Announced in 2013, the New York Cosmos sponsorship marked Emirates' first foray into soccer in the USA.

"Emirates is a proud supporter of sport around the world, and I am honoured to be its Global Ambassador," Pelé said.

Pelé is one of the most famous and admired soccer legends in the world.

A spectacular career saw Pelé thrive at international and club level and he is recorded as the only man to achieve three World Cup titles, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, the first when he was just 17-years-old.

Accolades continued to pour in throughout his career and after retirement, including being declared a "national treasure" by the then Brazilian president in 1961, being honoured by Guinness World Records for the most career goals scored in soccer, and jointly receiving with Maradona the one-off FIFA Player of the Century award in 2000.

Earlier this week, he was awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur for his lifetime of achievement.

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