Pele’ the world’s greatest footballer of all time died on December 29 due to many health problems.

He was 82. Pele’ was admitted to the hospital recently to re-evaluate his cancer treatment and was later diagnosed with a respiratory infection, according to medical reports.

Relatives and friends said prayers at his bedside because they knew he was gravely ill and was expected to die.

Doctors recently reported that chemotherapy had been suspended and that Pelé was being given palliative care, being treated only for symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath. 

His manager and the Albert Einstein hospital in São Paulo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A medical report released on Friday said Pelé had an adequate response to antibiotic treatment and was in a stable condition “with a general improvement in health status.”

He had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021 and has been receiving in- hospital treatment on a regular basis.


Pelé said in an Instagram post on Thursday that he was at the hospital for a “monthly visit†and thanked his supporters for the positive messages he had received.

A sign with the same message was displayed by Brazilian fans at the Lusail Stadium on Friday before the national team’s 1-0 defeat against Cameroon.

He was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil.