Pelé's daughter has dismissed recent reports that her father is at imminent risk of death.
Last week, Folha de S. Paulo reported that Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who is globally known as Pelé, was under palliative care after the chemotherapy he was receiving stopped having the expected results.
The 82-year-old Brazilian athlete, who is regarded as one of the greatest soccer players in the world, had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021, and has been receiving hospital care regularly.
However, new reports suggested that his health declined despite no confirmation from his doctor. Now, his daughter Flavia Nascimento has spoken out and said that her father is "not saying goodbye right now".
Pelé played for Brazil and club sides Santos and New York Cosmos as a striker. He won the World Cup three times - in 1958, 1962, and 1970 - an accomplishment no other player has achieved.
His daughter spoke with news outlet Fantastico about her father's health condition and said that the hospital was the best place for him to get the care he needed. She also insisted that the three-time World Cup winner was "not in the ICU [intensive care unit]".
"At the hospital, he is better assisted. But he's not in the ICU, he's in a normal room. So he's not at risk. As a person with more delicate health, it is better to be in the hospital," she said, per Daily Mail.
Flavia went on to say it was "unfair to start talking that he is in a terminal state, with palliative treatment," and added: "Of course, one day it will happen, but it's not now, you don't need to be in that alarm anticipating a situation that doesn't exist now."
According to The Guardian, another of Pelé’s daughters, Kely Nascimento, also said in the same interview that her father had Covid-19 three weeks ago, which led to the respiratory infection.
"He is sick, he is old, but at the moment he is being treated for a respiratory infection and when he gets better he will be back home," she said. "He is not saying goodbye in a hospital right now."
As reported by Daily Mail, the hospital said on Saturday (December 3) that the former soccer player was responding well to treatment for the infection and that his health condition had not declined over the previous 24 hours. However, they did not post any statements the next day.
On Sunday (December 4), Santos fans gathered outside the hospital to hold a vigil for the player. His daughter Kely also went on to explain how hard it has been to receive thousands of messages on social media about her father.
"People send me their condolences [on social networks]. I say I'm going to put the phone down and I'm not going to answer anyone. I just feel like I have to respond to people. Not to tell everything, but to say that it is not like that. We are not rushing there to say goodbye," she explained.
We hope that Pelé has a speedy recovery.