FILE - Brazilian Pele attends the 2018 soccer World Cup draw at the Kremlin in Moscow, Dec. 1, 2017. Brazilian soccer great Pel was hospitalized in Sao Paulo to regulate the medication in his fight against a colon tumor, his daughter said on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. Kely Nascimento added that there was no emergency concerning her 82-year-old father's health. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)FILE - Brazil's Pele, center, is hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates after Brazil won the World Cup soccer final against Italy, 4-1, in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, Mexico. Brazil's third World Cup triumph meant it kept the Jules Rimet trophy for good. The Hand of God. Zidane's headbutt. Gazza's tears. Many of soccer's most iconic moments have taken place at the World Cup, the latest edition of which starts in Qatar on Sunday. The Associated Press has covered the tournament through the years and followed the world's greatest players, none more so than Diego Maradona and Pel.(AP Photo, file)Brazil supporters cheer on the stands above a banner with pictures of soccer legend Pele, while waiting for the start of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and South Korea, at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
FILE - Brazilian Pele attends the 2018 soccer World Cup draw at the Kremlin in Moscow, Dec. 1, 2017. Brazilian soccer great Pel was hospitalized in Sao Paulo to regulate the medication in his fight against a colon tumor, his daughter said on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. Kely Nascimento added that there was no emergency concerning her 82-year-old father's health. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
“In 1958, I walked the streets thinking about fulfilling the promise I made to my father,” the three-time World Cup winner wrote on Twitter, alongside a photograph of a then-17-year-old Pelé. “I know that today many have made similar promises and are also seeking their first World Cup. I’ll be watching the game from hospital and I’ll be rooting for each one of you. Good luck!”
Recommended Videos
The 82-year-old Pelé was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday but is under no imminent risk of death, according to several family members.
The soccer great is also undergoing chemotherapy in his fight against cancer. He is expected to leave the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo once he fully recovers from the respiratory infection, although neither the family nor the hospital know when that might happen.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
