Brazilian footballing legend Pele has revealed he has been in hospital to remove a tumour in his colon but the 80-year-old insists he is feeling ‘very well’.
The icon has been in hospital for six days and underwent surgery on Saturday.
The Globo news site in Brazil said Pele was undergoing routine examinations in Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital when the undisclosed issue was detected.
And taking to social media, Pele allayed any fears over his health.
‘My friends, thank you very much for the kind messages,’ he wrote on Instagram.
‘I thank God for feeling very well and for allowing Dr Fabio and Dr Miguel to take care of my health. Last Saturday I underwent surgery to remove a suspicious lesion in the right colon. The tumor was identified during the tests I mentioned last week.
‘Fortunately, I’m used to celebrating great victories alongside you. I will face this match with a smile on my face, a lot of optimism and joy for living surrounded by the love of my family and friends.’
Earlier on Monday, Pele’s business manager Joe Fraga said there was no cause for concern.
Full battery of tests/scans/colonoscopy/blood etc,’ Fraga wrote in a message to Reuters. ‘He doesn’t do everything in one day.’
The scare came a few days after Pele was forced to refute reports he had fainted.
In an Instagram message accompanied by a smiling picture of the three-times World Cup winner, Pele wrote: ‘Guys, I didn’t faint and I’m in very good health.
‘I went for my routine exams, which I had not been able to do before because of the pandemic. Let them know I don’t play next Sunday!’
Pele is regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history and is the only player to win three World Cups.
