Agency :
Brazilian football legend Pele has sent a message of hope to his fans and called for “more love for our neighbors” in a heartfelt social media post.
“I write this letter to all of you, as my gesture of thanks for the year [2021],” Pele told his 7.9 million Instagram followers.
“Thank you so much for all the loving messages I received. We live in unexplainable times, which challenged us to be more united, even if it meant staying away from those we love the most. And even so, we lost a lot of friends and family along the way.”
The post came eight days after Pele was discharged from Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital after more than two weeks of treatment for a colon tumor.
Details of his condition have not been disclosed but the hospital previously said the three-time World Cup winner would require chemotherapy after undergoing surgery to remove the tumor in September. Pele also had to contend with the death of former Santos and national team colleague Dorval Rodrigues, aged 86, in December. “We survive all of this with the understanding that we are better when we act with each other in mind,” the post continued. “This fight is not over yet, but today we celebrate the possibility of starting over. I wish this experience would transform the world. May we have more love for our neighbors, more peace among people, and may we know how to celebrate life better.
