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Pele was paid $120K by a major sneaker company to bend down at midfield and tie his shoe before a 1970 World Cup match ... giving birth to a bitter feud between Puma and Adidas!

Pele's death has unearthed all kinds of stories about the soccer legend, who died Thursday at the age of 82, following a lengthy battle with colon cancer ... including when the greatest player ever was paid the equivalent of $1 million (in 2022 w/ inflation) to tie a Puma soccer cleat, according to Joe Pompliano, who told the story.

It all started in 1924 when Adolf and Rudolf Dassler started a shoe company, Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. The shoemaker was successful, and Jesse Owens even wore their brand during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where Owens dominated in front of Hitler, winning 4 gold medals.

But, by 1948, the brothers had a falling out and decided to go their own way ... each starting a sneaker company of their own. Adolf created Adidas and Rudolf, Puma. The brothers swore to never do business with one another.

Things changed in the late 60s when the brothers buried the hatchet and began communicating again, all in the interest of self-preservation. Adolf and Rudolf made a "Pele pact," an agreement that both companies would stay away from Pele, the biggest sports star in the world, fearing a sponsorship negotiation could bankrupt both companies.

Unfortunately for Adidas, Puma didn't exactly abide by the pact. Prior to a World Cup quarterfinal match in 1970 between Peru and Pele's Brazil, Puma paid the soccer superstar $120K to walk toward midfield just before the start of the game, bend down, and tie his Puma shoe.

Of course, Puma wanted to capture the moment on video ... so to ensure they didn't miss the moment, the shoewear company reportedly went as far as to pay the cameraman!

Brazil beat Peru ... and ended up winning the entire World Cup. It was Pele's record third.

The Pele-Puma partnership didn't come to an end with the '70 WC ... the deal was a smash success for everyone involved.

Actor Bob Penny, who scored minor roles in the films "Forrest Gump" and "Sweet Home Alabama," has died.

Bob passed away in Huntsville, Alabama on Christmas Day, according to an online obit from Laughlin Service Funeral Home. His cause of death was not disclosed.

Penny was a bit part actor in dozens of films and TV shows during his long career stretching back to the '80s. Some of his movie credits include, “Mississippi Burning,” “My Cousin Vinny” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance." He played a “crony” in “Forrest Gump,” and a bumbling, small-town lawyer in “Sweet Home Alabama." He also landed a role in the TV series “In the Heat of the Night.”

He began his acting career doing TV commercials for a local department store and ad campaigns for The United Way.

Bob was 87.

Sonya Eddy's dead, but her Twitter account is still very much alive ... her page is posting cryptic tweets every day, and the company behind it says its hands are tied.

The late "General Hospital" actress has an app linked to her Twitter account that automatically posts her horoscope every day ... and it's still churning out tweets despite her recent death, with confused fans replying to her tweets in droves.

Some of the horoscopes are pretty creepy, like this one from three days after her death ... "Today could reveal some unexpected rewards."

The app Sonya's official Twitter account is using is called Twittascope ... and honchos at the company that owns Twittascope say they can't do anything to stop the tweets.

For Sonya's account to stop posting daily horoscopes, we're told someone with access to her page will have to manually go in and disable the Twittascope app in her account settings.

As we reported ... Sonya died Dec. 19 after being hospitalized with a serious infection.

The past year will be remembered for many shocking events ... but this time, we remember celebrities who tragically died in the year 2022.

The Hip Hop world took a huge hit when Takeoff was shot dead ... same with PnB Rock, who was gunned down earlier this year. Coolio's death also came as shock to many.

Aaron Carter left the world too soon, when he was found dead in his bathtub ... and the death of actress Anne Heche rocked all of Hollywood and beyond, when she crashed her car into a home, causing a massive fire and trapping her inside.

Leslie Jordan also died behind the wheel, after investigators believe he suffered some sort of medical emergency ... leaving a huge hole in all of comedy. As did Louie Anderson and Bob Saget, who was found dead in his hotel room.

The list, unfortunately, continues with Olivia Newton-John, who died after losing her battle with cancer ... ditto for Kirstie Alley and Tom Parker.

Hollywood also suffered a huge loss when Stephen "tWitch" Boss died by suicide.

Others who are gone but not forgotten include ... Naomi Judd, Ray Liotta, "Friends" actor Mike Hagerty, "Toddlers & Tiaras" star Kailia Posey, Ivana Trump, André Leon Talley and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Of course, the longest-serving monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth II, left her legacy behind when she died, this year, at the age of 96.

Rulon Gardner won gold in wrestling in arguably the biggest upset in Olympics history ... and now the American hero, who's 51 years old, tells TMZ Sports he's making a comeback, and the goal is the Summer Games!

"I still wanna give more back to the sport, the sport that I love and that's wrestling. When you have a goal like wrestling it makes you get into shape so I've lost a substantial amount of weight, getting healthy again, getting back after it, and now it's getting on the mat," Gardner said.

"Every day it hurts like heck but it's so fun to be able to get out there and throw with these young kids. It's crazy 'cause I'm wrestling kids half my age."

If you don't know Rulon's story ... he won a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling during the 2000 Games in Sydney. But, that doesn't even begin to tell the story ... 'cause Gardner beat the most dominant and feared wrestler of all time, 6'3", 286 lb. Aleksandr Karelin.

"The Russian Bear" was thought to be unbeatable. He'd won the previous 3 gold medals. He hadn't lost a match since entering the international competition in 1988. For crying out loud, he hadn't given up a single point in 6 years. To this day he's regarded by most as the greatest amateur wrestler ever.

But, somehow, someway ... David slayed Goliath. And now, Rulon wants to do something perhaps equally hard -- compete at a world-class level in his 50s.

The journey started as a way for Rulon to lose weight ... and he tells us he's down about 150 lbs. An incredible achievement, but not his goal.

"Our goal is to go out there and show we can still compete with the top-level wrestlers of the world. I know I can compete with the guys in the U.S., the question is do I have what it takes in my 50s to get back to the Olympic games?"

If he can complete the comeback, we asked Rulon where the achievement would rank in the history of Olympic competition.

"Dara Torres, she did it a few years ago as a swimmer in her 40s and nobody has ever thought about doing it in your 50s and especially a combat sport. It's not easy on the body. Your talking about getting hit in the head, you're talking about getting hit in the body, shoulder, and knees. There's just so many body parts."

"Last year, I started throwing people and I'm like oh my gosh, I was throwing guys and my body is saying, 'what are you doing?' It still says that but it's like getting back on the bike and it feels normal again."

Kate Major just hit a trifecta no one wants to hit -- Michael Lohan's estranged wife has been arrested and charged with her third DWI.

TMZ has learned Kate was busted in Shenandoah, TX -- law enforcement sources tell us cops spotted her behind the wheel of her parked car last month. She stood out like a sore thumb because it was 2 AM, and her car was in the parking lot of a shopping center where all the stores were closed.

We're told the officers said Kate reeked of booze as she sat alone in her idling car -- and she told them she was driving around to find a friend with whom she'd had an argument.

Our sources say she went through field sobriety testing, failed and was arrested for felony DWI. This one was a felony due to 2 prior convictions for driving while intoxicated.

As we've reported, Kate's other arrests happened in 2020 in New York and in 2014 in Florida.

Ash Ketchum's 25-year arc in "Pokemon" is coming to an end ... and while it seems like a shock, maybe it's something we all should've seen coming -- at least according to Veronica Taylor, who originally provided the voice for the titular trainer.

Veronica tells TMZ ... she was hit pretty hard by the recent news that the popular anime was leaving Ash and Pikachu behind, but after the character was finally named top trainer in the world on the show, the exit kinda tracks.

She says an ending for Ash seemed so distant, but points out how "Pokemon" has taught us so many lessons, one of which is letting go ... and a departure like this would be another great example of that.

For those unaware, Taylor voiced Ash for the first 8 seasons of the show ... and it was announced this month that the new season will introduce 2 new main characters -- but not before 11 special episodes in 2023 to wrap up Ash and Pikachu's journey.

Taylor thinks a cameo in the future is possible, though ... and hopes longtime fans will be just as attached to this new generation.

English actor Jay Simpson was 39 years old when he was cast as the limo driver -- who is professional yet stoic, always looking sharp and constantly confused by Amanda Woods' erratic behavior -- in the romance/comedy classic "The Holiday" back in 2006.

Jay shared the big screen with A-listers Cameron Diaz as the successful movie trailer business owner, Amanda, Jude Law as the sensitive and romantic book editor and widower, Graham, Kate Winslet as the intelligent society columnist for The Daily Telegraph in London, Iris and Jack Black as the loyal movie composer, Miles.

Controversial and provocative influencer Andrew Tate and his brother have been arrested in Romania on human sex-trafficking allegations ... according to a report.

The publication Libertatea reports the two have been brought in on kidnapping and rape charges -- though the specifics of the allegations are not yet known. A video circulating on social media from a Romanian news outlet shows both Tate and his brother being led out of a building in handcuffs by police and into a waiting vehicle.

Tate became the a huge focus on Twitter earlier this week after he tweeted at environmental activist Greta Thunberg, mocking her efforts by listing off his collection of cars.

Thunberg responded with a burn of her own, writing, "yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com" and Twitter went wild.

What's more ... Tate then created a video response to Thunberg's tweet which featured pizza boxes from Jerry's Pizza -- a company with locations in Romania -- there's speculations the pizza boxes helped Romanian authorities track Tate down.

The person who concocted, recruited and ultimately turned on scores of parents who tried bribing their children's way into good colleges is about to get sentenced, and prosecutors say he's the worst of all and should be sentenced to 6 years.

Rick Singer will be formally sentenced next week, and TMZ has obtained a copy of document prosecutors just filed, saying Singer "was the architect of a massive, decades-long scheme to use fraud and bribery to secure admission of high school students to elite colleges and universities across the country."

Prosecutors say Singer profited from the scheme more than anyone and therefore deserves a much harsher sentence than the parents, coaches and others received.

As for comparisons ... more than 50 parents, coaches and associates of Singer's received sentences ranging from probation to 30 months.

Lori Loughlin received 2 months, and Felicity Huffman 14 days.

Prosecutors want an additional 36 months of supervised release, and restitution to the IRS in the amount of $10,668,841. They want millions more in other penalties.

Here's the thing ... 6 years ain't so bad, because the max was 65 years behind bars.

As for why the relatively light sentence ... Singer cooperated and was the key to convicting the parents and others. The docs refer to Singer making hundreds of recorded calls at the government's direction. He wore a wire as well to nail the targets. Prosecutors say if it wasn't for Singer, most of the parents who were convicted would have gotten off.

Vivienne Westwood -- whose fashion designs are largely credited for bringing punk styles to the mainstream -- has died.

A statement from Westwood's team announced she died Thursday peacefully and surrounded by loved ones in South London. The statement reads, "Vivienne continued to do the things she loved, up until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world for the better."

It continues, "She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future."

The statement says, "Vivienne considered herself a Taoist. She wrote, "Tao spiritual system. There was never more need for the Tao today. Tao gives you a feeling that you belong to the cosmos and gives purpose to your life; it gives you such a sense of identity and strength to know you're living the life you can live and therefore ought to be living: make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth."

Finally stating, "The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better."

Westwood got her first recognition thanks to a boutique she and Malcolm McLaren, who managed the Sex Pistols, ran in the UK called SEX. From there, she continued to open shops in London and then around the world.

Later on in her career, she collabed with Pharrell Williams, wedding looks for Princess Eugenie and even designed uniforms for Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic crew.

Westwood was 81.

A father from Alaska missed a lifesaving opportunity to receive a new heart after his Alaska Airlines flight was canceled due to the historic U.S. winter storm.

Patrick Holland, who is battling congestive heart failure, was contacted by the University of Washington Medical Center on Dec. 22 saying he was next in line for a heart transplant.

The 56-year-old was given an 8-hour window to fly to Seattle for the heart transplant -- rushing to the Fairbanks, AK airport for an overnight flight -- according to CNN.

However, when he got to the airport, it was announced his flight was canceled due to weather. Alaska Airlines' staff tried to get him on the next flight, but it had to be rerouted. Unfortunately for Holland, that meant he'd miss the 8-hour window ... and the heart was given to someone else.

Holland spoke with King 5, saying, "I think I cried more that day than I have in my life, and exerted every emotion that I've never had. To get out of that funk, I immediately said, 'Thank God, there's going to be a family that is saving someone's dad, saving someone's brother, saving someone's, someone's uncle, you know.'"

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé -- arguably the greatest football player ever -- has died.

The three-time World Cup winner passed away at a hospital in Sao Paulo surrounded by loved ones following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Pelé was initially diagnosed with the disease in 2021, and had been in and out of medical facilities over the past year to help him fight it. But, sadly, his condition worsened recently ... forcing him to spend the last two months in a hospital bed.

Pelé was able to watch the 2022 World Cup in his final days ... and even penned a congratulations post on his social media page to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe after the epic Argentina vs. France final last weekend.

He had also written an emotional note to Neymar after a huge performance for Brazil earlier in the famed tournament.

Pelé joined Brazil's national team when he was just 16 years old ... and won his first-ever World Cup at age 17 in 1958. He went on to lead Brazil to two more titles in the event, winning it all in 1962 and 1970.

He's widely regarded as one of the best goal scorers ever -- with Cristiano Ronaldo previously calling him "the greatest player in football history."

He was 82.

YFN Lucci is not a witness to be used against Young Thug in his RICO case ... this according to the rapper's attorney.

YFN Lucci’s attorneym Drew Findling, tells TMZ … Rayshawn Bennett, AKA Lucci, has not been named as a witness in the YSL case, whatsoever. He makes it clear that Lucci has never been interviewed or subpoenaed by law enforcement, the Fulton County District Attorney's office or any of the party's regarding the YSL case.

We're told, "Any party can announce for example that Abraham Lincoln is on their witness list, but those words alone are meaningless. So, to be 100% clear, Rayshawn Bennett (Lucci) will not be a witness in the YSL case."

In case you didn't know, Lucci is currently sitting behind bars and awaiting trial on murder charges. YT and YFN are both Georgia rappers, who are known to have beef for several years which caused folks on social media to suspect he might be working with Thug's prosecutors in order to cut his own plea deal.

However, Lucci's attorney says, "His focus, as it should be, is on his pending Fulton County case."

As we've reported, YT and fellow YSL rapper Gunna were arrested back in May on gang-related charges tied to a 56-count indictment.

Gunna was locked up for several months before taking a plea deal by pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge. He was sentenced to 5 years with one year commuted for the time he's already served. The other 4 will be suspended and replaced with community service and other demands.

On the other hand, Thug has been in custody for 7 months and he's slated for trial in January.

Nick Cannon is likely already reallllly good at changing diapers, but he's about to get even more reps in ... as he just welcomed baby number 12 to the world.

Alyssa Scott, who Cannon previously had a child with, broke the news Thursday -- revealing their daughter, Halo, was born on December 14. Scott says, "I will remember the sound of Nicks voice saying "it's a girl" and the look of everything we've been through flash across his face."

She continues, "I will remember the sound of her crying out with her first breath and feeling her heartbeat against mine. My sweet girl, I got my surprise!! We love you Halo Marie Cannon!"

Previously, Nick and Alyssa had a baby boy together named Zen, who died at only 5 months after brain cancer.

Scott remembered Zen in the announcement of Halo, writing, "Zen is in every breath I take. I know his spirit was with us in the room that morning. I know he is watching down on us. He shows me signs everyday. I will hold onto this memory forever."

Young Thug might soon be fighting more than charges ... as a COVID-19 outbreak has hit several of his codefendants in his RICO case.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a bunch of the defendants and attorneys in Young Thug's ongoing case have tested positive for COVID. The court order states Young Thug could also be at risk of getting COVID and says he must get tested.

The court order, stamped on 12/28, does not have results from Young Thug's COVID test.

As we reported, Young Thug has been in custody for more than 7 months ... he was arrested back in May on gang-related charges tied to a 56-count indictment. He's slated for trial in January, with jury selection beginning on January 5.