Pelé's health has worsened, says hospital

Brazilian Soccer legend Pelé’s health has worsened and he now requires greater care due to the progression of his cancer, according to a statement by the Albert Einstein Jewish Hospital in São Paulo. According to a statement made by the hospital authorities, 82-year-old Pelé was admitted to the hospital on November 29 for a respiratory infection and re-evaluation of the chemotherapy treatment over the colon cancer identified in September 2021. Now Pelé presents progression of the oncological disease and requires greater care related to renal (kidney) and cardiac dysfunctions. The need for greater care means Pelé will spend Christmas at the Albert Einstein Jewish Hospital in São Paulo, his daughter Kely Nascimento mentioned in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

After Pelé was hospitalized in November, Nascimento explained that the former soccer player had had Covid-19, despite being vaccinated “with all doses,” and because the chemotherapy had made him more fragile, he contracted a lung infection. Pelé is widely considered to be one of the greatest soccer players in history. He played in four World Cups, winning three - in 1958, 1962, 1970 - as well as scoring 12 goals in 14 games. He scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games in his professional career.