Fútbol legend Pelé released a statement Sunday (December 4) after it was reported that he was entering a palliative care unit at a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.
“My friends, I want to keep everyone calm and positive,” Pelé, 82, wrote on Instagram. “I’m strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual. I want to thank the entire medical and nursing team for all the care I have received. 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 watching Brazil in the World Cup too! Thank you so much for everything.”
Pelé’s family confirmed that he has been hospitalized at Albert Einstein Hospital since last Tuesday (November 29) to treat a respiratory infection, which was made worse by COVID-19. According to two of his daughters and a grandson, who spoke to TV Globo, Pelé, who is undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer, is not at imminent risk of death.
“He is sick, he is old, but at the moment, he is [in the hospital] because of the lung infection,” Pelé’s daughter Kely Nascimento told TV Globo. “Once he feels better, he will go home again. He is not saying goodbye in a hospital at the moment.”
If Pelé is still in the hospital on Monday (December 5), we’re assuming he’ll be watching Brazil’s World Cup match against South Korea from there. If so, he’ll probably see the tribute that fans have planned at the 10-minute mark (in reference to his shirt number) to unfurl a huge “O Rei” (The King) banner.