Pele to be moved out of intensive care before returning home, his daughter reveals

Football legend Pele is to be moved out of intensive care at a Sao Paolo hospital before returning home, his daughter reveals, after 80-year-old underwent surgery to remove a suspected colon tumour

  • Football icon Pele is continuing to recover in hospital after surgery on his colon 
  • Three-time World Cup winner has been receiving care since earlier this month
  • Doctors removed a tumour from his colon, but Pele, 80, is set to be moved soon 
  • His daughter Kely Nascimento said he will be allowed to leave in the near future


Pele will be moved out of intensive care in the next day or two as the Brazil football great continues his recovery from surgery, his daughter Kely Nascimento said.

The 80-year-old, three-time World Cup winner has been in the Alberto Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo since doctors removed a tumour from his colon earlier this month.

‘He is doing well post surgery, he is not in pain and is in a good mood (annoyed that he can only eat jello but will persevere!). He will move into a regular room in the next day or two and then go home,’ Nascimento said on Instagram.

Pele will be moved out of intensive care to continue his recovery from surgery on his colon

His daughter Kely Nascimento shared a positive update on the health of the Brazil football icon

His daughter Kely Nascimento shared a positive update on the health of the Brazil football icon

‘He is strong and stubborn and with the support and care of the brilliant team at Einstein and all of the love, energy and light that the world is sending, he will get through this!’

The hospital said last Friday that Pele was recovering satisfactorily.

His suspected tumour was detected during routine tests, and Pele underwent successful surgery.

Nascimento revealed Pele will be moved to a regular room and then allowed to return home

Nascimento revealed Pele will be moved to a regular room and then allowed to return home

Pele, now 80, has recovered satisfactorily after the procedure removed a suspected tumour

Pele, now 80, has recovered satisfactorily after the procedure removed a suspected tumour

After the procedure, his medical team said he was ‘conscious, conversing actively and is maintaining normal vital signs.’ 

Further providing a positive update on his health, Pele posted an archive image of himself on Instagram.   

He wrote: ‘My friends, with each passing day I feel a little better. I’m looking forward to playing again, but I’m still going to recover for a few more days.

‘While I’m here, I take the opportunity to talk a lot with my family and to rest. Thanks again for all the loving messages. We’ll be together again soon!’

All-time great Pele has won the World Cup three times and is his country's leading goalscorer

All-time great Pele has won the World Cup three times and is his country’s leading goalscorer

Pele, the former Santos forward, has struggled with health issues for several years.

He required surgery on his prostate in 2015, having been admitted to hospital twice in the space of six months.

In 2019, he was admitted again for a urinary infection – and in February of last year, his son Edinho said Pele was reluctant to leave the house because of hip issues. 

‘He is very sheepish, reclusive,’ he said. ‘Imagine, he’s the King, he was always such an imposing figure and today he can’t walk properly.

Plagued by health issues in recent years, Pele now uses a wheelchair during his public outings

Plagued by health issues in recent years, Pele now uses a wheelchair during his public outings

‘He’s embarrassed, he doesn’t want to go out, be seen, or do practically anything that involves leaving the house.’

Pele has been made to use walkers and wheelchairs to move around during his sparse public appearances in recent years, after a failed hip replacement in 2012.

His outings were already slashed before the pandemic struck, meanwhile.

After winning the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup with Brazil, Pele remains an all-time great, and is his country’s top goalscorer with 77 goals in 92 matches.  

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