Veteran footballer Pele arrived his country Brazil on Tuesday after spending six days in the hospital of France. Three-time World Cup winning team member Pele was admitted to the hospital due to the bladder infection. He was discharged from the hospital on Monday.
The 78-year-old, who is widely considered to be the greatest footballer in history was discharged late Monday from the private American hospital in the Paris suburbs where he had been taken after falling ill following an appearance at a promotional event with France striker Kylian Mbappe.
After arriving at the Sao Paulo-Guarulhos airport in Brazil, Pele was taken through a gaggle of reporters at the terminal in a wheelchair and was driven away in a van.
"Once again, thank God, everything went well. I'm alive. Long live Brazil," said Pele, a gold cross hanging around his neck, after he arrived in Brazil's biggest city.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Brazilians and all those who called the hospital, who called me, for my operation, to wish me a rapid recovery," he added.
Earlier Neymar met the 78-year-old Pele in the hospital. The star player of Paris St. Germain (PSG) posted his photo with Pele on his Instagram account. Pele said, 'I want to thank all of you. Everyone here took care of me in the hospital. '
In a statement on Monday on the Globoesporte.com site, Pele said he had required "medical assistance and surgery" for a "severe urinary infection."
Before he was discharged, current Brazil star Neymar, who plays alongside Mbappe for Paris Saint-Germain paid him a visit at the hospital.
Neymar posted a photo on his Instagram account Monday of himself next to a smiling Pele in his hospital bed with the two holding hands.
In 2016, Pele, who played 1,363 professional matches, scoring 1,281 goals, turned down the chance to light the flame at the Rio Olympics because he had undergone hip surgery earlier that year and was suffering from muscle pains.
In 2017, he appeared at the draw in Moscow for the World Cup in Russia but was in a wheelchair on that occasion too. In January 2018, he cancelled a trip to London fearing a "stressful" and "tiring" journey.
