SAO PAULO –
Brazilian footballer Pelé has been released from hospital, the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo announced Thursday, and will spend Christmas at home after months of medical problems following surgery to remove a colon tumor .
“The patient is stable and will continue treatment for a colon tumor that was identified in September,” the statement said.
On Instagram, Pelé, 81, posted a photo of himself smiling. The photo, he wrote, was “not for nothing”.
“As I promised you, I’ll be spending Christmas with my family. I’m coming home. Thanks for all the kind messages,†he wrote.
In early December, Pelé said he would be home from the hospital in a few days.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, the three-time World Cup winner has suffered a series of health issues in recent years. The hip surgery left him with recurring pain and he can no longer walk without assistance.
(Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; Editing by Ken Ferris)
