'I'm Strong, With A Lot Of Hope' - Legendary Footballer Pele Amid Cancer Battle

The 82-year-old was hospitalized on Tuesday in Sao Paulo.

Pele is the only football player to have won three World Cups.

On Saturday, Brazil football legend Pele specified that he is feeling better. As per the doctors, he is now suffering with a respiratory infection but his condition is stable so far.  The 82-year-old was hospitalized on Tuesday in Sao Paulo as doctors stated it was a reevaluation of the chemotherapy he has been taking. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Pelé (@pele)

 

"My friends, I want to keep everyone calm and positive," Pele said in an Instagram post. "I'm strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual."

"The medical team diagnosed him with a respiratory infection, which is being treated with antibiotics," the hospital said in a statement.

"The patient's response has been adequate, and he remains in a standard room," not intensive care, it said.

"He is stable and his health is showing general improvement. (He) will remain in the hospital in the coming days to continue treatment."

Pele is the only football player to have won three World Cups. He won the World Cup in 1958, 1962, and 1970 and remained Brazil's all-time top scorer with 77 goals. He had problems with mobility after a failed hip replacement surgery in 2012. He is the only footballer being a goal poacher with over 1,000 goals in a professional career that spanned 22 years.