Tumor removed, Pele in recovery

Pelé has had an apparent tumor on the right side of his colon removed in an operation.

Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo said on Monday the 80-year-old soccer great is in an intensive care unit and will be transferred to a regular room on Tuesday.

The operation was a “great victory,” Pelé said on his social media channels on Monday.

He went to the hospital for routine exams last week when the tumor was found. The hospital said in a statement the tumor was identified during routine cardiovascular and laboratory exams. It added it collected samples to be analyzed for pathologies.

Pelé won the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups, and remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77.