Brazilian soccer legend Zico visited Hiroshima on Sunday and paid tribute to those who died due to the U.S. atomic bombing of the city 80 years ago.
Zico, 72, who also served as head coach of Japan's men's national soccer team, laid flowers at the cenotaph for the atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and prayed.
On Sunday evening, an international charity soccer match organized by Zico, a former Brazilian national team star player, took place at the Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima stadium, with participants including legendary players from across the world, such as Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata.
"Soccer is a sport that can change the behavior and ways of thinking of many people because there are numerous soccer fans around the world," Nakata said. "There are many more things that we can do through our actions."
Zico has previously held charity matches in Brazil to pray for world peace. It was the first time he staged such a match in Japan.
Hiroshima was devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945, in the closing days of World War II. The southwestern city of Nagasaki suffered the same fate on Aug. 9 that year.
After visiting the cenotaph, Zico said that he plans to continue issuing a message of peace.
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