Brazil’s players paid tribute to legend Pele, who is receiving hospital treatment in Sao Paulo due to his ailing health, after sauntering to a 4-1 World Cup victory over South Korea. Following Monday’s last-16 match at Stadium 974 in Doha, the players unfurled a huge banner to the 82-year-old, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
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With fans worldwide on edge over his health, ailing 82-year-old football legend Pele said Monday he was cheering for the Brazilian national team from hospital.
In a message on Instagram as the “Selecao” prepared for their 4-1 romp over South Korea in the round of 16, Pele said he was watching.
“I’ll be rooting for each one of you,” Pele, the only player to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970), told the team.
“The King” posted a faded colour picture of himself as a baby-faced 17-year-old in Stockholm, Sweden, on his way to dazzling the planet with his extraordinary talent in Brazil’s maiden World Cup championship run.
First-half goals from Vinicius Junior, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta saw Brazil put the game to bed long before Paik Seung-ho’s stunning consolation in the second period.
After the game, stars of the Brazil team paid a touching tribute to him, with Pele having announced on Twitter he would be watching from his hospital bed. The squad gathered together on the pitch and raised a special poster of Pele’s iconic celebration in 1970.
“It’s hard to talk about what Pele is going through right now but I wish him all the best,” said Neymar, who made his return from an ankle injury to play most of the game.
“I hope he will be back in good health as soon as possible and that we could have at least comforted him with the victory,” Neymar told Globo.
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Pele’s battle with colon cancer is providing motivation for the players to try to win a record-extending sixth world title — the first three of which Pele was part of.
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“He needs a lot of strength from us and this victory is for him, so that he can come out of this situation and that we can be champions for him,” said Vinicius.
Brazil will not meet Croatia on Friday in the quarter-finals.
