Brazilian football great Pele’s family gathers at hospital on Christmas Eve after his cancer advances

Brazilian football great Pele’s family gathered on Christmas Eve at Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, where the 82-year-old icon has been since November to reevaluate his treatment and tend to a respiratory infection.

The doctors this week said that Pele’s cancer had advanced and the three-time World Cup winner was under “elevated care” related to “kidney and cardiac dysfunctions”.

Pele’s son Edson Cholbi Nascimento, who is known as Edinho, arrived on Saturday, a day after he denied that he would visit his father at hospital, AP news agency reported.

“He (Edson) is here,” Kely Nascimento, one of Pele’s daughters, said in a post on Instagram with a picture showing her sitting next to Edinho and two of his children at the hospital. “I am not leaving, no one will take me out of here.”

Edinho also posted a picture, showing his hand holding his father’s. “Dad… my strength is yours,” he said.

Pele had a colon tumor removed in September last year, but neither family nor doctors have commented on whether it had spread to other organs.

Pele guided Brazil to World Cup glory in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Neymar recently tied Pele’s all-time record of Brazil’s leading scorer (77 goals) during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Brazilian players and fans paid tribute to Pele by unfurling massive banners with an image of Pele during the World Cup. Pele wished Argentina and hailed the performances of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe following the 2022 final, where Argentina beat France in the penalty shootout 4-2.