Pele has not been moved to palliative care, his daughters have said, dismissing reports that the Brazilian football legend was in end-of-life care.
The 82-year-old was taken to hospital last week to re-evaluate his treatment as he battles colon cancer.
Pele, regarded by some as the greatest footballer of all time, had a tumour removed from his colon in September last year and has been receiving regular hospital care since.
Newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported on Saturday that the three-time World Cup winner was under palliative care after chemotherapy stopped having the expected results.
Pele’s doctors have not confirmed that information and his daughter, Flavia Nascimento, said the report was untrue.
“It’s pretty unfair people saying that he is in terminal condition, that he is under palliative care. Believe us: that’s not it,” she said in an interview with Globo TV.
Flavia explained that medical staff sometimes adjust Pele’s medication as there was no complete remission of his colon cancer.
The latest report from medical staff at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital, released on Saturday, clarified that Pele was in stable condition and had also responded well to treatment for a respiratory infection diagnosed after his hospitalisation.
Pele himself issued a statement on Saturday to allay concerns about his imminent death, even urging fans to support Brazil at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The former skillful forward is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 77 international goals and he won the World Cup three times, starting as a 17-year-old in 1958.
Pele also starred in 1962 and 1970 as Brazil triumphed again and no other player has ever won three World Cups.
Another one of Pele’s daughters, Kely, added in the interview that he had COVID-19 three weeks ago, which led to the respiratory infection.
“He is sick, he is old, but at the moment he is being treated for a respiratory infection and when he gets better he will be back home,” Kely said. “He is not saying goodbye in a hospital right now.”
Fans of Santos, the club Pele spent most of his glittering career with, gathered outside the hospital to hold a vigil last night.
