Football fans around the world are praying for Pele after his daughter posted a moving picture from his hospital ward as the Brazilian legend continues his cancer battle.
The 82-year-old has been fighting colon cancer since September 2021 and has been in hospital since November 29, raising fears about his health.
Now, his daughter Kely Nascimento has posted a picture showing her hugging Pele in his bed which was captioned: ‘We continue to be here, in fight and in faith. Another night together.’
Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento shared an emotional photo hugging her dad in hospital
Brazil star Neymar was among those who liked the post by Pele’s daughter Kely on Instagram
A moving photo of Pele (right) and his daughter Kely (left) from September last year
Pele’s granddaughter Sophia can also be seen in the photo. A video was also shared showing Pele sleeping in his bed while family members spoke to him.
Brazil star Neymar was among those who ‘liked’ the Instagram post, while there was a flurry of ‘long live the King’ and ‘praying for Pele’ messages on social media.
Neymar and France star Kylian Mbappe are among those who’d sent good luck messages to Pele since he was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo.
Worried football fans around the world posted messages of support after the latest update
In a recent Instagram post Nascimento said that the support of her father’s fans was a ‘huge comfort’ to him.
She wrote: ‘Your love for him, your stories and your prayers are a HUGE comfort because we know we are not alone.
‘Let’s turn this room into a Sambadrome (just kidding), let’s even make caipirinhas (not kidding!!).’
A video has also emerged of Pele resting while family sit on his bed to show him messages
The hospital provided an update on Pele’s condition earlier this week, detailing that he now requires care for cardiac and renal dysfunction.
‘Admitted since November 29 for a reassessment of chemotherapy therapy for colon tumor and treatment of a respiratory infection, Edson Arantes do Nascimento presents progression of the oncological disease and requires greater care related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions,’ the update from medical staff read.
‘The patient remains hospitalised in a common room, under the necessary care of the medical team.’
Pele is widely considered Brazil’s greatest ever player and he was able to watch his country’s campaign at the World Cup in Qatar, despite being in hospital.
He burst on to the global scene as a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup, helping Brazil to the first of their record five successes, before also winning the 1962 and 1970 World Cups with the national side.
Pele has been in and out of hospital since having a tumour removed from his colon in 2021
Concern for Pele accelerated last month when a news report emerged that he was being moved to end-of-life care, something his daughters swiftly denied.
Speaking to Fantastico about her father last month, Kely explained: ‘About three weeks ago he got Covid. He is vaccinated, with all the vaccines, but because of the cancer medicine, the chemotherapy, which is fragile, he got a lung infection.
‘That’s why he went to the hospital, because of the lung infection. Is he serious? It’s serious, because he’s a certain age, he’s treating cancer.’
Flavia, his other daughter, went on to explain how the hospital is the best place for Pele to get the care he needs.
She said: ‘At the hospital, he is better assisted. But he’s not in the ICU, he’s in a normal room. So he’s not at risk. As a person with a more delicate health, it is better to be in the hospital.’
Since then his condition has become trickier and his family are now by his bedside as he continues to fight the disease.
Kylian Mbappe took to Twitter earlier this month to show his support towards the Brazilian icon
Pele, who is considered one of the greatest footballers ever, won three World Cups with Brazil
Brazil players held a banner of support for Pele after their World Cup win over South Korea
The World Cup has been a tournament that Pele was able to follow closely around his treatment and the 82-year-old also watched the final of the tournament from his bed.
Having commended Brazil, despite their quarter-final exit, he once again took to social media to congratulate Lionel Messi and Argentina after their dramatic penalty shootout win against France.
‘Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way. Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved,’ Pele wrote on Instagram.
‘My dear friend, Mbappé, scoring four goals in a final. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle to the future of our sport.’
After the World Cup final, Pele posted the following message to his Instagram page
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk