Football great Pele has backed Brazil’s national men’s team to win their World Cup round of 16 match against South Korea, saying that he will watch the game from the hospital after being admitted there last week as he battles colon cancer.
Brazil advanced to the knockout stage with back-to-back victories over Switzerland and Serbia, followed by a 1-0 loss to Cameroon. As the Group G winners, they will face South Korea on Monday. The Selecao have won the World Cup five times and are the pre-tournament favourites to win a sixth time. Brazil have played in every World Cup since 1930 but have not reached the final since they last won the title in 2002.
Pele, 82, said in an Instagram post that he wanted to inspire Brazil’s players by sharing a photo from the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, when he stunned the world by leading the South American side to their first title.
“I’ll watch the game from here at the hospital and I’ll be rooting for each one of you,” Pele said ahead of the match starting at 1900 GMT in Qatar.
“We are on this journey together. Good luck to our Brazil!”
Pele, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021 and has been receiving regular hospital care since. According to medical reports, he was hospitalised last week to re-evaluate his treatment and is also being treated for a respiratory infection.
Pele was a striker for Brazil and club teams Santos and New York Cosmos. He was instrumental in leading his country to three World Cup titles, in 1958, 1962, and 1970, a feat no other player has accomplished. Brazil is aiming for a record-breaking sixth world title. The great Brazilian Pele is not receiving palliative care, according to his daughter.