Brazilian Pelé leaves hospital, but will have to undergo chemotherapy

Published on : 10/01/2021 – 02:48

Fans of former legendary footballer Pelé will be relieved. The 80-year-old Brazilian was released on Thursday, September 30, from the hospital where he was admitted a month ago to have a “suspicious” tumor removed.

“Edson Arantes do Nascimento was released from the hospital this Thursday morning. His state of health is stable and he will undergo chemotherapy, after his operation to remove a tumor in the colon, on September 4,” said in a statement Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo.

Although this medical bulletin does not mention the word “cancer”, chemotherapy is usually used to treat this disease.

“When the path is difficult, celebrate every step of the way. Focus on your happiness. It’s true that I can’t jump anymore, but lately I’ve raised my fist more often than I’m very happy to be coming home, “the” King “wrote on his Facebook and Instagram accounts after being released from the hospital.

“He is getting stronger and will continue his convalescence at home,” said his daughter.

Rumors about his state of health

The three-time Brazilian world champion was admitted to hospital on August 31 for routine examinations where a “suspicious” colon tumor was detected. He was operated on four days later. The result of the tumor biopsy has still not been made public.

The “King” of football then spent ten days in an intensive care unit, where he returned briefly a few days later due to breathing difficulties.

The hospital has issued very few official bulletins and there have been many rumors about the state of health of the one many consider to be the greatest footballer of all time.

One of his daughters, Kely Nascimento, then decided to reassure fans with photos and videos showing her father, still smiling and full of humor despite apparent fatigue.

We have seen him ride a stationary bike, play cards, or sing the anthem of Santos, the club where he shone from 1956 to 1974, before joining the New York Cosmos at the end of his career.

Pelé himself posted some information on his Instagram account, which has more than 7 million subscribers. In one of these publications, he congratulated the Argentinian Lionel Messi, who on September 9 broke his record for the number of goals scored in the selection by a South American player, with 79 goals scored, against 77 for the Brazilian.

Fragile health

The only footballer in history to have won the World Cup three times (1958, 1962, 1970), Pelé has made very few public appearances in recent years.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed nearly 600,000 lives in Brazil, he has remained confined to his residence in Guaruja, a seaside resort near Sao Paulo.

In a documentary about his life released in February by Netflix, he is seen moving with difficulty using a walker.

The former Seleçao number 10, who will be 81 on October 23, has worried his fans on several occasions due to his fragile health. In April 2019, he was hospitalized in Paris due to a severe urinary tract infection. Back in Brazil, he had a kidney stone removed.

At the end of 2014, Pelé had already suffered from a serious urinary tract infection and was placed in intensive care and on dialysis. He has only one kidney since the days when he was still a player. A broken rib during a match damaged his right kidney which was eventually removed.

The Brazilian is one of the last sacred monsters of football, after the deaths of Johan Cruyff, in 2016, and especially Diego Maradona, in November 2020. Pelé had paid a vibrant tribute to the Argentine genius: “One day, in heaven, we will play together on the same team. And this will be the first time that I raise my fist to the sky not to celebrate a goal, but because I can give you a hug. “

With AFP