Pele: Brazil legend says he will watch the national team’s last 16 clash with South Korea from hospital

Pele has said he will watch Brazil’s last 16 clash against South Korea from hospital.

The three-time World Cup winner was taken to Sao Paulo hospital last week to treat a respiratory infection that has been aggravated by Covid.

Despite reports on Saturday that he was in palliative care, his daughter Kely Nascimento said he will get better and return home.

She told TV Globo in an interview aired on Sunday night: “He is sick, he is old, but at the moment he is there because of a lung infection, and when he gets better he will go back home again. He is not saying goodbyes in the hospital at the moment”.

His other daughter, Flavia, said he is not in the ICU and not at risk.

The message read: “In 1958, in Sweden, I was walking through the streets thinking about fulfilling the promise I made to my father.

“I know that many of the national team made similar promises and are also looking for their first World Cup.

“I want to inspire you, my friends. I’ll watch the game from here at the hospital and I’ll be rooting for each one of you.

“We are on this journey together. Good luck to our Brazil!”

Pele – whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento – is regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time.

As well as winning three World Cups with Brazil, he scored 643 goals in 659 matches for Brazilian club Santos and 77 times in 92 games for the national team.

In Brazil he won six Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A titles, 10 Paulista league titles, and the Copa Libertadores twice.