Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Pele: I’m strong with a lot of hope

Pele: I’m strong with a lot of hope

‘I’m strong, with a lot of hope,’ the legendary former Brazilian team player and three-time World Cup winner said.

Brazilian football great Pele says he feels “strong”, after he was hospitalised and diagnosed with a respiratory infection earlier this week.

“I’m strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual,” Pele said in a Saturday post on Instagram.

The 82-year-old football legend urged fans to remain “calm and positive”.

“I have a lot of faith in God and every message of love I receive from you all over the world keeps me full of energy,” he added.

On Friday, doctors said Pele — whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento — was recovering and in stable condition following the diagnosis. Pele, who sustained swelling and cardiac issues after his hospital admission this week, was specifically diagnosed with bronchopneumonia, ESPN Brasil previously reported.

Pele’s daughter, Kely Nascimento, told the outlet her father had initially been hospitalised to regulate his medication related to his oncology treatments.

In a report on Saturday, medical staff at the Albert Einstein Hospital said Pele responded well to treatment for a respiratory infection diagnosed after his hospitalisation and that his condition had not worsened in the last 24 hours.

“He is still undergoing treatment and remains in stable condition,” his doctors said.

Pele’s latest statement on his health came hours after the daily Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported the retired footballer, who is battling cancer, is now receiving palliative — or “end of life” — care after his body stopped responding to chemotherapy following a surgery to remove a suspected colon tumour last year.

The football star previously posted on social media on Thursday reassuring followers that he had been at the medical facility for a “monthly visit”.

Pele, one of the most talented footballers to ever play the game, led Brazil to a trio of World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He remains Brazil’s leading goal scorer with 77 goals in 92 games.


Pele waves to the spectators at Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi, India, in 2015

Players and fans at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar were quick to react with concern once news of the Brazilian footballer’s health concerns emerged this week.

“Pray for the king,” French striker Kylian Mbappe posted on Twitter on Saturday.


The same day, Doha’s Torch Tower was illuminated with a giant image of Pele’s face alongside the message “get well soon”.

“We send our best wishes to him and his family as well,” England’s captain Harry Kane also said. “[He is an] inspiration amongst our game, incredible footballer, incredible person.”

A life-size statue of Pele, holding the World Cup trophy and other memorabilia from the Brazilian forward’s storied career featured at an interactive exhibit on South American football in Doha, has been a major draw for fans at this year’s tournament.

Before signing off on his post on Saturday, a defiant — and resilient — Pele had one final message for his fans.

“And watch Brazil in the World Cup too!” Pele wrote.

Brazil take on South Korea in the round of 16 on Monday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×