Pele’s family are spending Christmas Day in hospital after the Brazilian soccer legend’s cancer progressed.
A medical report earlier this week showed the 82-year-old now needed treatment for heart and kidney disordersbattling colon cancer since September 2021.
He was at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paul since November 29.
The former Santos FC star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, will have his family by his side during the festive period, his daughter has said.
“I won’t leave, no one will take me out of here,” Kely Nascimento said on Instagram.
She wrote the caption alongside a photo of her sitting next to one of Pelé’s sons, Edinho, and two of his children.
Pele’s latest hospital stay inspired a huge outpouring of goodwill at the World Cup in Qatar, with the Brazilian squad leading players and fans to send their best wishes to the sporting icon.
His country ended up failing the tournament, unable to add to a run of five World Cup titles that began with a triumph in 1958 that saw Pelé burst onto the scene aged just 17.
Pelé’s role in Brazil’s third victory, in Mexico in 1970, has gone down in football folklore, as he played a key role in arguably the sport’s greatest international team.
His stellar 20-year career from 1957 to 1977 saw him score 757 goals in 831 games, although Santos claims his tally was closer to 1,000.
