Pele has been moved to palliative care after becoming unresponsive to chemotherapy in his battle with cancer, according to reports in his native Brazil.
The 82-year-old was taken to hospital last week and is now receiving pain relief in an end-of-life ward as the treatment for his bowel cancer has stopped working. As reported by the Mirror, Pele was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday with symptoms of 'general swelling' and 'heart failure'.
Pele moved to reassure fans that his visit was only routine later that week as a post on his Instagram account looked to allay any serious worries. Attached to a photograph of a ‘get well soon’ message displayed on buildings at the World Cup in Qatar, the Brazil great wrote: “Friends, I am at the hospital making my monthly visit.
“It’s always nice to receive positive messages like this. Thanks to Qatar for this tribute, and to everyone who sends me good vibes!”
Pele's daughter, Kely Nascimento, also insisted on Tuesday that her father's trip to hospital was nothing to warrant "emergency".
However, despite his reassuring message and the encouraging updates, Folha de Sao Paulo reported on Saturday that Pele has become unresponsive to the chemotherapy treatment he has received for months to tackle bowel cancer. The report adds the former striker will not undergo invasive tests or treatment as he has been admitted to a ward for those with life-threatening diseases or conditions, or who require end-of-life care.
Pele is also being attended by his carer and his wife, Marcia Aoki, is said to be by his bedside. In response to Saturday's sad news, BBC presenter Gary Lineker wrote in Portuguese, "very sad news", while France superstar Kylian Mbappe wrote on Twitter, "Pray for the King."
Pele burst onto the global scene as a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup, helping Brazil to the first of their record five successes.
Injury affected his contribution to the 1962 and 1966 finals, but he returned to lead Brazil to a third triumph in Mexico in 1970 as part of what is widely regarded as the greatest international team of all time.
Officially, Pele scored 757 goals in 831 games during a glittering career from 1957 to 1977, although club Santos claim his tally was closer to 1,000.
