The 82-year-old “King” Pele was admitted to hospital on November 29 to re-evaluate his chemotherapy treatment after discovering colon cancer in September 2021.
“Pele is suffering from the development of an oncological disease and requires more comprehensive care to treat kidney and heart failure,” doctors said in a statement addressing the three-times world champion’s health.
The Brazilian will remain in hospital “in a normal room, where he will receive the necessary treatment”.
A few minutes before the press release was published, two of Pelè’s daughters, Kelly Nascimento and Flavia Arantes, announced via Instagram that their father would spend Christmas in the hospital: “Christmas is over at our house. We have decided with the doctors, to various reasons, that it is better to stay here, with all care.” Provided by our new (Albert Hospital) Einstein family!!”
The two young women have posted several messages on social media in recent weeks to reassure Pele’s fans around the world after Brazilian media reported that his health had deteriorated.
“As always, we thank you for the affection you send us, from all parts of Brazil and from all parts of the world,” they added.
On Sunday, Kelly posted a photo of her sister, Flavia, massaging her father’s left foot while watching the World Cup final on television. Without Pele’s face that appears in the photo.
Ranked by many as the greatest footballer of all time, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, has suffered from increasingly failing health in recent years. He has undergone regular chemotherapy treatments since being diagnosed with colon cancer last year. He also underwent surgery to remove the tumor in September 2021 and spent a month in hospital.
Pelé is the only player in football history to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970) and scored more than 1,000 goals before retiring in 1977.
Although Pele didn’t appear much in public, he was active on social networking sites, where he was regularly posted during the World Cup in Qatar, including a message of support and condolences to Brazilian star Neymar after the Selecao was eliminated from the tournament after lost to Croatia on penalties in the quarterfinals.
And it saw Neymar equal his tally as he scored his 77th goal for Brazil, having opened the scoring in 105+1 minutes of the first half of extra time against Croatia.
Brazilian players also paid homage to the living icon by carrying a banner after their World Cup quarter-finals defeat of South Korea (4-1) in Qatar, displaying his name and image celebrating his famous goal in the 1970 final against Italy when he got his third title.
Hours before the game, he texted them saying he’d be following them from the hospital: “I want to inspire you… I’m going to encourage each and every one of you.”
After the last match, Pelé congratulated Argentine world champion Lionel Messi on his “deserved” crowning against France, on penalties 4-2, after drawing 3-3 in regular time and extra time.
“Congratulations to Argentina! Diego (Maradona, died November 25, 2020) is definitely smiling now,” the king wrote on his Instagram page.
Pelé has received many messages of support since his hospitalization, in particular from the French striker Kylian Mbappé, top scorer at the World Cup in Qatar (8 goals), who invited us to “pray for the king”.
Pelé last appeared in public alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s French striker, in April 2019 in Paris, during a promotional event with a joint sponsor.
The Brazilian was admitted to the American hospital in Neuilly (western suburb of Paris) for a serious urinary tract infection, before going directly to the Albert Einstein hospital in São Paulo on his return to his country.
In late 2014, Pelé suffered a serious urinary tract infection and was admitted to intensive care and dialysis.
