Pele: Brazil legend, 80, has surgery to remove tumour
Pele: Brazil legend, 80, has surgery to remove tumour
Pele, pictured in 2019, is Brazil’s leading goalscorer and one of only four players to have scored in four different World Cup tournaments
Brazil legend Pele has had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon.
Following reports that the 80-year-old had been in hospital for six days, he posted on social media on Monday, saying he had surgery to remove the “suspicious lesion” last Saturday.
“Fortunately, I’m used to celebrating great victories alongside you,” said the three-time World Cup winner.
“I will face this match with a smile on my face, a lot of optimism and joy for living.”
His health has been a concern in recent years and he had prostate surgery in 2015 after he was admitted to hospital for the second time in six months. He was admitted for a urinary infection in 2019.
Pele is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer and one of only four players to have scored in four different World Cup tournaments.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, he scored a reported 1,279 goals in 1,363 appearances during his career, including 77 goals in 91 internationals for Brazil.
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