Pele undergoes surgery to remove colon tumor as health update issued to Brazil icon’s worried fans

Brazil legend Pele has undergone surgery to remove a “suspicious lesion in his right colon” after it was reported on Monday that the football icon had been in hospital for the past six days.

Initial reports had not disclosed the medical issue afflicting the 80-year-old icon, but more details have now been provided in a post on Pele’s Instagram account.

“My friends, thank you very much for the kind messages,” read the message.  

“Last Saturday I underwent surgery to remove a suspicious lesion in the right colon. The tumor was identified during the tests I mentioned last week.”

Pele had initially addressed the latest fears regarding his health at the end of August, denying reports that he had fainted.

“Guys, I didn't faint and I'm in very good health. I went for my routine exams, which I had not been able to do before because of the pandemic. Let them know I don't play next Sunday!” the star had said on social media.

It was then reported in the Brazilian media on Monday that the three-time World Cup winner had been hospitalized following checks at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital.

That was confirmed by Pele’s business manager, Joe Fraga, who said there was no cause for alarm.

“Full battery of tests /scans /colonoscopy / blood etc,” Fraga wrote in a message, Reuters reported.

“He doesn’t do everything in one day.”

Pele’s upbeat new message may go further towards allaying the fears of his millions of fans – although concerns will naturally linger considering his advanced years and the longer he remains in hospital.