Pele discharged from hospital, will spend Christmas with family
Brazilian soccer legend Pele laughs during the inauguration of a refurbished soccer field at the Mineira slum in Rio de Janeiro on Sept 10, 2014.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONDecember 24, 2021 5:44 AM
SAO PAULO - Brazilian soccer great Pele has been discharged, Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein hospital said on Thursday (Dec 23), and will spend Christmas at home after months of medical issues following an operation to remove a colon tumour.
"The patient is stable and will continue his treatment for a colon tumor that was identified in September," the statement said.
On Instagram, the 81-year-old Pele posted a picture of himself smiling. The photo, he wrote, was "not for nothing."
"As I had promised you guys, I will spend Christmas with my family. I'm going home. Thanks for the all the kind messages," he wrote.
In early December, Pele had said he would be home from hospital in days.
Widely considered as one of the greatest footballers of all time, the three-time World Cup winner has suffered from a series of health issues in recent years. Hip surgery left him with recurring pain and he cannot now walk unaided.