Brazil football legend Pele in hospital for respiratory infection treatment, not in end-of-life care
The respiratory infection was caused by COVID-19. Pele's family says that he has not been moved to palliative care. Chemotherapy is also ongoing to treat his cancer.
Former Brazil football star Pele is in a hospital in Sao Paulo, undergoing treatment for a respiratory infection which was aggravated by COVID-19. The Brazilian football legend has not been moved to end-of-life care as reported by several media outlets earlier, his family clarified on Sunday.
It was reported earlier that Pele had stopped responding to chemotherapy treatment in his fight against bowel cancer which was diagnosed in September 2021 and had been moved to palliative or end-of-life care.
Palliative care means providing medical assistance and physical comfort to those suffering from serious or terminal diseases. Pele is 82 years old. He was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday due to the respiratory infection.
According to his two daughters and one grandson, Pele is also undergoing chemotherapy at the Albert Einstein hospital.
“He is sick, he is old,” Kely Nascimento, one of Pele’s daughters, told TV Globo. “But at the moment, he is there because of the lung infection. And once he feels better, he will go home again.”
However, Pele’s cancer is not under remission, which means that the signs and symptoms of the disease have not reduced.
“It is very unfair for people to say he is at the end of his life, in palliative care. Guys, that’s not true. Believe us,” Flavia Nascimento, Pele’s other daughter, said. “He is not in intensive care, he is in a regular bedroom. He is not at risk, he is in treatment.”
Arthur Arantes do Nascimento, Pele’s grandson, added that the Brazil football legend has been following the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
“I see people telling me ‘rest in peace’ (for Pele). One day it will happen, but it is not today,” Arthur Arantes do Nascimento said. “He is going to get well, it is a matter of time. He will see Brazil lift the sixth title.”
In an Instagram post, Pele urged all to be ‘calm and positive.’
"I'm strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual," Pele said. "I have a lot of faith in God and every message of love I receive from you all over the world keeps me full of energy. And watch Brazil in the World Cup too!"
The leading scorer for the Brazil national football team, Pele netted 77 goals in 92 international appearances. He won the FIFA World Cup three times, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, making him the only player to do so. Pele’s first football World Cup triumph came when he was just 17 years old.
At the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, Pele became the youngest player to score a goal in a World Cup at 17 years and 239 days. The record still stands.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, Pele is considered one of the greatest football players of all time. He was named Player of the Century by FIFA in 2000.
Pele scored more than 1,200 goals in his career. It includes more than 1,000 goals for Santos, a Brazilian football club where Pele played from 1956 to 1974.
France striker Kylian Mbappe on Saturday tweeted: “Pray for the King.” England football captain Harry Kane sent his best wishes to the Brazilian legend and his family.
“He is an inspiration amongst our game and an incredible footballer and incredible person,” Kane said. “We wish him well.”