Pelé to watch Brazil's World Cup match from the hospital

FILE - Brazil's Pele, center, is hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates after Brazil won the World Cup soccer final against Italy, 4-1, in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, Mexico. Brazil's third World Cup triumph meant it kept the Jules Rimet trophy for good. The Hand of God. Zidane's headbutt. Gazza's tears. Many of soccer's most iconic moments have taken place at the World Cup, the latest edition of which starts in Qatar on Sunday. The Associated Press has covered the tournament through the years and followed the world's greatest players, none more so than Diego Maradona and Pelé.(AP Photo, file)

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian soccer great Pelé will be cheering on his country's national team on Monday in its World Cup game against South Korea from the hospital, where he is being treated for a respiratory infection aggravated by COVID-19.

“In 1958, I walked the streets thinking about fulfilling the promise I made to my father,” the three-time World Cup winner alongside a photograph of a then-17-year-old Pelé. “I know that today many have made similar promises and are also seeking their first World Cup. I’ll be watching the game from hospital and I’ll be rooting for each one of you. Good luck!”

The 82-year-old Pelé was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday but is under no imminent risk of death, according to several family members.

The soccer great is also undergoing chemotherapy in his fight against cancer. He is expected to leave the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo once he fully recovers from the respiratory infection, although neither the family nor the hospital know when that might happen.

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