I continue to smile every day: Pele after brief stay in ICU
Sep 18, 2021
Sao Paulo [Brazil], September 18 : Three-time FIFA World Cup winner Pele on Friday stated that his recovery is going well after the 80-year-old was briefly transferred back to an intensive care unit (ICU) on Friday after suffering breathing difficulties.
Football legend Pele was visited by his daughter Kely Nascimento in the hospital. Nascimento posted a photo of herself next to her father in the hospital, seeking to cheer up his fans. Pele also took to social media to thank fans for the good wishes he has received and their love.
"My friends, I am still recovering very well. Today I received visits from family members and I continue to smile every day. Thank you for all the love I get from you," Pele wrote on Instagram.
Considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, Pele has been in poor health in recent years and has had various stints in the hospital.
On August 31, Pele was hospitalised for medical tests at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, which revealed a tumour. The 80-year-old then underwent successful surgery to remove a tumour on the right side of his colon.
Pele is the only player in history to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970). He burst onto the global stage at just 17 with dazzling goals, including two in the final against hosts Sweden, as Brazil won the World Cup for the first time in 1958.
