Brazilian soccer legend John Pele says he is “recovering well” following surgery to remove a tumour from his colon. The 80-year-old was admitted to the hospital after a tumour in his right colon was discovered in tests.
John Pele Thanks Roberto Carlos
On Monday, John Pele took to his social media and confirmed he had had surgery to remove the “suspicious lesion”. Before his surgery, the three-time World Cup winner said: “I will face this match with a smile on my face, a lot of optimism and joy for living.”
The former Santos player has since posted that he is “recovering well” following the surgery but dedicated his post to “good friend” Brazilian singer-songwriter, known as King of Latin Music or simply “The King” Roberto Carlos, who lost his 52-year-old son to cancer on Wednesday.
Pele is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer and one of the only four players to have scored in four World Cup tournaments.