The moving images at Christmas increased concern for the “king” of football. Pelé, who is seriously ill with cancer, can only be seen in profile in his hospital bed, hugged by his daughter Kely Cristina Nascimento.
“We continue here, in the fight and in faith. One more night together,” she wrote on Instagram in the hours of Christmas Eve. Further recordings from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein followed until Monday. The family is together, they smile at the camera.
“Merry Christmas. Gratitude, love, togetherness, family. The essence of Christmas. We thank you all for all the love and light you send,” Pelé’s daughter wrote in a picture that also included the 82-year-old’s wife , Marcia Aoki. Another shot reads: “Another night with him”.
Intensive support for Pelé
The hospital announced last Wednesday that Pele had been diagnosed with cancer progression and needed more intensive care due to kidney and heart problems. The 1958, 1962 and 1970 world champion has been in the hospital since November 29 to reset chemotherapy for a colon tumor. According to media reports, the chemotherapy should not have worked recently.
Pelé’s son Edson “Edinho” Cholbi do Nascimento (52) also came to visit. The former goalkeeper posted a picture of himself holding his father’s hand on Instagram. Below the photo is a flaming heart. He wrote: “Father… my strength is yours.” Brazil’s current star Neymar paid tribute to Pelé in a video shared by Kely Nascimento on Instagram. “As you know, Pelé is part of my story,” said Neymar, among other things.
Pelé ist Rekordtorschütze der Seleção
The “King” (“O Rei”) had shaped football during his active career and far beyond it like no other. World governing body FIFA had named him – like Argentinian Diego Maradona – the “Player of the 20th Century”. With 77 goals in 92 international matches, Pelé is still the Seleção’s all-time record goalscorer. It is a very small circle of the best, the most important of this sport, to which only very few belong next to the “King” and Maradona. The names of Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Lionel Messi fall into the discussion.
Pelé’s congratulations to Messi on Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar is the last entry on his own Instagram page so far. “Diego is definitely smiling now,” said the trophy picture with Messi, alluding to Maradona, who died at the end of November 2020.
Pele’s concerns extend far beyond football. In his home country, the 82-year-old is revered like hardly any other personality. “Pelé, our thoughts are with you,” wrote IOC President Thomas Bach (68) on Twitter: “I wish you all the best with all my heart.” In 2016, the head of the International Olympic Committee awarded Pelé the Olympic medal in his hometown of Santos. In the same year the summer games took place in Rio de Janeiro.
