In a shocking video posted by Golaut official on YouTube, Brazil legend, Pele, seems to be slowly losing the battle against cancer as he faintly says goodbye to family and friends.
The condition of the three-time world champion has deteriorated as he was seen struggling to breathe in the video which went viral.
The 82-year-old, who had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021, was admitted to the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo on November 29, 2022, and recently spent Christmas Day there.
As his condition worsens, family members gathered in the hospital to stay with him, with his daughter vowing to stick by his side as the Brazil great receives care in the hospital after his cancer progressed.
Meanwhile, British businessman and sports manager Frank Khalid said in a Twitter post, “Pele says goodbye to family and friends from the hospital bed. Football legend, Pele is slowly losing the battle against cancer, family says ‘his condition is worsening even further’,” Khalid wrote.
In another developing video on social media, one of Pele’s former rivals, Romario, has wished the Brazilian football legend well.
Pele’s exploits for Brazil and Santos earned him the nickname O Rei, or ‘The King‘, as he helped the Selecao light up the football world from the late 1950s into the early 1970s.
The South American pair did not play in the same era, as Ronaldo and Messi, with Maradona taking up the mantle in the 1980s into the 1990s, but that didn’t stop the comparisons.
As well as winning the Golden Ball in 1970, Pele was named the best player in the old South American Championship (now Copa America) in 1959. How could Messi be the greatest of all time? In comparison to CR7. What are their statistics compared to PELE?
Goals – Pele 1284 to Messi 700+
Hattricks – Pele 92 to Messi 53
World Cup won – Pele 3 (by age 30 ) Messi 1 (by age 35)
Pele is the only player declared a National Treasure by his country.
Pele is the only SOCCER PLAYER for whom a referee was EXPELLED in a game.
PELE is the only player in History that ever dribbled 9 players and scored a goal (Maracana Stadium in 1961)
Pele is the ONLY PLAYER in History for whom the Queen of England broke protocol just to shake his hands.
Pele is the only player in History to be married by the POPE a second time to the same woman as a recognition of his greatness.
Pele is the ONLY PLAYER in HISTORY for whom a WAR was stopped in order to watch him play – The Nigerian Civil War- only for the war to resume thereafter.
