Amid his battle with cancer, the Brazilian football great Pele was hospitalised in Sao Paulo to regulate the medication in his fight against a colon tumor on Wednesday (November 30). However, he is in a stable condition now after the medical evaluation, the hospital said in a statement.
"After medical evaluation, the patient was taken to a common room, with no need for admission in a semi-intensive care unit," the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo said.
Pele's daughter Kely Nascimento, who lives in the United States, made the comments in an Instagram post after what she called “lots of alarm in the media today concerning my dad's health.” ESPN Brasil reported earlier that the three-time World Cup champion was taken to Hospital Albert Einstein due to “general swelling.” “Really and truly, we appreciate the concern and love,” Nascimento said.
Nascimento's remarks on Instagram followed an ESPN Brasil report that Pele had been admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital with "general swelling" and was undergoing several tests for a more in-depth assessment of his health issues.
The 82-year-old had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021 and has since been in and out of the hospital for treatment on a regular basis.
A statement from Albert Einstein Hospital issued later in the day said: "Edson Arantes do Nascimento was hospitalised at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein yesterday (29) for a reevaluation of the chemotherapy treatment for the colon tumor.
"After medical evaluation, the patient was taken to a common room, with no need for admission to a semi-intensive unit or ICU. The former player is in full control of vital functions and stable clinical condition," it added.
It was also learnt that Pele was having cardiac issues and his medical staff showed concern that his chemotherapy treatment was not having the expected results.
Widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, Pele has suffered from a series of health issues in recent years, including a hip surgery that left him with recurring pain and trouble walking unaided.
Brazil left-back Alex Telles had encouraging words for Pele at Wednesday's team news conference.
"He represents us everywhere in the world. I only ask God to bless his life, that he manages, more and more, with his strength, to remain strong with us."
Pele helped Brazil win the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups and remains the country's all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches for the national team.
