Pele Hospitalised With ‘Swelling Body’, Heart Failure

Legendary Brazilian footballer Pele has been admitted to hospital with swelling all over his body and heart failure issues.

The 82-year-old, who is currently undergoing treatment for metastatic cancer, went into the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday for an unscheduled visit, according to ESPN Brasil, which describes Pele’s condition as ‘debilitated’.

After being taken by his wife Marcia Aoki and a carer to hospital, medical staff confirmed his condition of anasarca (general swelling), an edematous syndrome (general edema) and identified ‘decompensated heart failure’, which causes functional limitation of the heart.

It is also reported that his chemotherapy treatment is no longer working. He was also diagnosed with mental confusion upon entering the hospital, where he became restless.

Pele is set to undergo several tests today for a further assessment of the organs that have been impacted by the metastatic cancer.

The former footballer is reportedly struggling to eat, while medics are set to look at the likelihood of him having a hepatic encephalopathy - a nervous system disorder brought on by severe liver disease.

There is no time frame on Pele’s hospital stay, and his wife and carer are by his bedside.

However, Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento, who is not in Brazil, insisted there was no need for alarm and that her father’s hospital admission is ‘no surprise or emergency’.

She posted on Instagram: ‘Lots of alarm in the media today concerning my dad’s health. He is in the hospital regulating medication.

‘There is no emergency or new dire prediction. I will be there for New Year’s and promise to post some pictures.’

Officials at the hospital have not commented on his health. His wife did confirm the Brazil icon was in hospital, but implied it is only for his standard chemotherapy and check-ups.