According to a social media post by his daughter, the great Pele’s family paid him a visit on Saturday at the hospital in Sao Paulo where he is battling cancer that is progressing as well as kidney and cardiac issues.
On Christmas Eve, Pele’s son Edinho arrived to the hospital where he joined his sisters Flavia and Kely Nascimento. Edinho just accepted the position of head coach of Serie B football club Londrina, which is headquartered in Parana in the north.
He posted an Instagram photo of himself holding the football star’s hand, captioning it: “Father… my strength is yours.”
The ex-goalkeeper arrived a day after having explained his absence at his father’s side to local media.
“I would like to be present, but I am committed to my mission here. I’m not a doctor, I couldn’t really help much,” he said in an interview published on Friday by the daily Estadao.
With the description “one more night together,” Kely posted a picture of herself holding her 82-year-old father in the hospital that day.
The three-time World Cup champion’s colon cancer was “progressing,” according to the Albert Einstein Hospital where he is being treated, and he required “more comprehensive care to combat renal and heart failure.”
Earlier that day his daughters had announced he would not be home for Christmas.
The atmosphere was calm outside of the hospital on Saturday, according to AFP.
The French star Kylian Mbappe, who encouraged fans to “pray for the King,” sent Pele a letter of support following his hospitalization. Pele is widely regarded as the greatest football player of all time.
Pele underwent a re-evaluation of his chemotherapy treatments, which he has been undergoing since having surgery to remove a colon tumor in September 2021, and was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo on November 29.
