Retired Brazilian soccer star Pelé remained in intensive care as he recovered from surgery to remove a tumor on the right side of his colon.
Hospital Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo said in a statement that 80-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento was recovering “in a satisfactory manner," though still in intensive care. The hospital said on Monday that Pelé was expected to be moved to a regular room on Tuesday.
The hospital also said Pelé is “awake, actively talking and keeing his vital signs in normality.” The three-time World Cup champion also said on his Instagram that “each day I feel a little better.” He went to the hospital for routine exams at the end of August when the tumor was found. The hospital said in a statement then that the tumor was identified during routine cardiovascular and laboratory exams. It added it collected samples to be analyzed but has not released the results.
Pelé, the only male player to win three World Cups, has had mobility problems since a failed hip replacement surgery in 2012. He has been forced to use walkers and wheelchairs in public. He has also been admitted to several hospitals in recent years for kidney and prostate procedures.
Pelé won the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups, and remains Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches.
