Sao Paulo, Dec. 22 (BNA): Brazilian soccer legend Pele has developed cancer and needs care related to kidney and heart impairment, according to a medical report. His family said he will stay in a hospital in Sao Paulo over Christmas.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, the 82-year-old has been in Albert Einstein Hospital since late November as doctors re-evaluated his treatment and predisposed to a respiratory infection.
Pele has received regular medical treatment since the removal of a polyp from his colon in September last year.
“Christmas is on hold at home,” his daughter Kelly Nascimento said on Instagram, thanking people for their support.
“We decided with the doctors that, for various reasons, it would be best for us to stay here with all the care that this new Einstein family is giving us,” she said in the post.
After Argentina won the World Cup final on Sunday, Pele posted a photo on social media of their team lifting the trophy, praising the performances of team captain Lionel Messi, rising French star Kylian Mbappe and surprise semi-finalists Morocco.
“Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in a captivating way,” he said. “What a gift witnessing this spectacle has been for the future of our sport.”
During the quarter-finals, the Brazilian players unfurled a huge banner onto the pitch with the image of a great soccer player winning the 1970 World Cup. It reads simply: “Pelé!”
SM