As the soccer world turns its attention from the World Cup in Qatar back to the day-to-day club grind, a luminary looms large in the thoughts of fans everywhere.
The health of legendary Brazil and Santos forward Pelé—widely considered the greatest soccer player of the 20th century—has reportedly deteriorated, and he remains under close supervision by doctors in São Paulo, the state where he grew up.
Kely Nascimento, one of Pelé’s daughters, shared an emotional photo of her hugging her father at Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in São Paulo on Instagram Friday night.
“We continue here, in struggle and in faith,” Nascimento wrote in Portuguese. “One more night together.”
The picture has accumulated over 94,000 likes as of Saturday afternoon.
Pelé’s health was a recurring storyline during the World Cup, where Brazil fans unveiled a large banner depicting his glory days before the team’s 4–1 win over South Korea in the round of 16. He has fought cancer, a respiratory infection, COVID-19, and kidney and heart issues over the last 15 months.
Revered as a national treasure in his home country, Pelé helped Brazil win the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970. With Santos, he won 10 state, six national and two continental titles.
