Brazilian football icon and three-time World Cup winner Pele has been released from hospital after receiving treatment for a urinary tract infection and a colon tumour. The 81-year-old had been at Sao Paulo’s Hospital Albert Einstein since February 13.
Pele was initially admitted to hospital for treatment on a colon tumour, which was picked up via routine tests in September.
However, eight days into his stay, doctors detected a urinary tract infection which prolonged his period of hospitalisation.
The hospital claim that the Brazilian national hero is now in a ‘stable clinical condition’.
Pele had prostate surgery in 2015, and has been hospitalised numerous times since, including just before Christmas for further treatment on the tumour.
BBC Sport claim that he will continue to receive treatment for the tumour, despite being discharged on Monday.
Pele tops an illustrious list of Brazilian goal-scorers, having hit 77 for the national team, beating greats like Ronaldo, Romario and Ronaldinho.
He also sits fifth on the list of all-time World Cup scorers, having hit 14 goals across four tournaments between 1958 and 1970.
Incredibly, the former Santos and New York Cosmos attacker helped lift the trophy on three occasions, becoming the only player in history to achieve that feat.
His first triumph with Brazil came at the age of 17, and he remains the youngest ever player to feature in a World Cup final.
Pele remains firmly in the mix when it comes to football’s fierce GOAT debate, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Maradona all mounting their own claims to the top spot.
A poll by the History television channel revealed that the Brazilian was voted the greatest of all time in 2018, although other votes have produced different outcomes.
Tostao, a fellow national team hero who lined up alongside Pele in 1970, claims that his former team-mate is in a league of his own.
“I think Pele was better than all of them,” he told FIFA, “For me there’s no comparison.
“He didn’t have one defect.
“Maradona was spectacular, but he wasn’t on Pele’s level physically, he didn’t score the numbers of goals Pele did. Messi’s spectacular, but he doesn’t head the ball like Pele did, he doesn’t shoot as well with both feet, he doesn’t pull off the moves that Pele did. Cristiano Ronaldo is an exceptional player, but he doesn’t have the ability that Pele had and he doesn’t pull off the incredible passes that Pele did.
“If you take the qualities of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, put them together, then you’d have a player to compare to Pele!”