Pele is the only player to win the World Cup three timesBrazilian legend Pele is to be moved out of intensive care in the next day or two after having surgery to remove a tumour from his colon.
The 80-year-old is being treated at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo.
Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento said her father was “doing well” and “is not in pain” in a post on Instagram.
The three-time World Cup winner has been having treatment at the hospital since 31 August after the tumour was detected in routine tests.
“He is strong and stubborn and with the support and care of the brilliant team at Einstein and all of the love, energy and light that the world is sending, he will get through this,” Nascimento added.
In February 2020, Pele’s son, ex-Santos goalkeeper Edinho, said his father had become “embarrassed” to leave his house because he cannot walk unaided.
His health has been a concern in recent years; he had prostate surgery in 2015 after he was admitted to hospital for the second time in six months, and he was admitted for a urinary infection in 2019.
Pele is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 77 and one of only four players to have scored in four different World Cup tournaments.
Lionel Messi recently passed him as the leading South American men’s goalscorer in international matches with a hat-trick in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying win against Bolivia.