File photo taken on April 9, 2019 shows Brazilian football great Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pele, arriving at Guarulhos International Airport, in Guarulhos some 25km from Sao Paulo, Brazil. — AFP photo
RIO DE JANEIRO (Dec 24): Brazilian football great Pele was discharged from hospital on Thursday after more than two weeks of treatment for a colon tumour.
The 81-year-old underwent surgery to remove the growth in September and doctors said upon his release that he would be undergoing chemotherapy, said Xinhua.
He was readmitted to Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital in early December.
“Edson Arantes do Nascimento was discharged from the Israelita Albert Einstein hospital this Thursday. The patient is stable and will continue treatment for the colon tumour,” the hospital said in a statement.
No further details were provided and it was not immediately clear if the three-time World Cup winner had been scheduled to return to hospital.
In November, Pele said he was feeling “better every day”, having been released from hospital on Sept 30. Doctors detected the tumour during routine medical tests.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Pele scored a world record tally of 1,281 goals in a 1,363-match professional career that spanned 21 years. He was capped 91 times for Brazil and scored 77 international goals. — Bernama