Very bad news. Pelé’s cancer is “progressing” and the Brazilian football legend requires “greater care to treat kidney and heart failure”, the Sao Paulo hospital where he was treated announced on Wednesday.
“King” Pelé, 82, was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital on November 29 for a reassessment of his chemotherapy treatment after the detection of a colon tumor in September 2021. “Pelé presents with disease progression and requires more extensive care to treat kidney and heart failure,” the doctors explain in their health bulletin.
“Our Christmas at home fell through”
The Brazilian remains hospitalized “in a normal room, where he receives the necessary care”, continues the establishment. A few minutes before the publication of this press release, two of Pelé’s daughters, Kely Nascimento and Flavia Arantes, had announced on their Instagram accounts that their father would spend Christmas in the hospital.
“Our Christmas at home fell through. We decided with the doctors, that, for various reasons, it is better to stay here, with all the care provided by our new family (of the Albert) Einstein hospital “, can we read in this message, illustrated with a photo of the two smiling sisters. They wanted to be optimistic, promising a festive atmosphere in the hospital room. “We’re going to turn this room into a sambadrome (it’s a joke) and we’re even going to make caipirinhas (that’s not a joke),” they continued, citing the famous Brazilian cocktail made with lemon and cane alcohol.
The two young women have posted several messages on social networks in recent weeks to reassure Pelé fans around the world, after Brazilian media reported that his health had deteriorated. “As always, we thank you for the affection you send us, from all over Brazil and around the world,” they added.
“Pray for the King”
On Sunday, Kely Nascimento posted a picture of his sister Flavia massaging her father’s left foot while he watched the World Cup final on TV. Pelé’s face does not appear in the photo. After the match, the triple world champion congratulated the Argentinian Lionel Messi for his “deserved” coronation against France. “Congratulations to Argentina! Diego (Maradona, died November 25, 2020, editor’s note) is certainly smiling at the moment, ”wrote Pelé on Instagram.
During this World Cup, he saw Neymar equal his record of goals with the Seleçao (77). The one who many consider to be the greatest footballer of all time has received many messages of support since his hospitalization, in particular from the French crack Kylian Mbappé, who called to “pray for the King”. It was alongside Mbappé that Pelé made one of his last public appearances, in April 2019, in Paris, for a promotional event with a common sponsor.
He had to be admitted to the American Hospital in Neuilly (western suburb of Paris) for a severe urinary tract infection, before going directly to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo on his return. At the end of 2014, Pelé had already suffered a serious urinary tract infection and was placed in intensive care and on dialysis.