World Cup icon Pele ‘strong with a lot of hope’as he fights cancer
Pele says he is “strong with a lot of hope” as he undergoes treatment for cancer.
In a statement released last night, the footballing icon said messages of support, as well as watching Brazil’s progress at the World Cup, had given him “energy”. Earlier his hospital in Sao Paulo said he was “still undergoing treatment and remains stable”.
Fears for the World Cup winner had mounted after reports suggesting he had been moved to palliative care in hospital.
“My friends, I want to keep everyone calm and positive,” he said in a statement released 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.”
The 82-year-old has been receiving treatment for colon cancer, having undergone surgery to remove a tumour in September 2021.
In response to the reports, France forward Kylian Mbappe, Brazil icon Rivaldo and current Brazil star Vinicius Junior wished him well on social media. Mbappe tweeted: “Pray for the King”, while Rivaldo and Vinicius Jr simply added “Strength King”on their social media pages.
During the BBC’S coverage of yesterday’s Holland-united States World Cup game, fellow World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann said of Pele: “He is always nice to every fan walking up to him and yet he is Pele, the outstanding personality of world football. Obviously this is very, very sad news and let’s just pray for him and hope for the best.”
The statement from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein last night said Pele “had a good response to treatment for respiratory infection care”. It added he was undergoing a “reassessment of chemotherapy treatment”.