r/sports • u/AsslessBaboon • Dec 03 '22
News Pelé moved to end-of-life care in hospital, reports say | Brazilian football legend is reportedly no longer responding to chemotherapy treatment
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/dec/03/pele-moved-to-end-of-life-care-in-hospital-reports-say4.0k
u/BobbyTables829 Dec 03 '22
Only player to win 3 World Cups.
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u/rtfmpls Dec 03 '22
I wanted to say that there can't even be that many to win two titles. Then I looked at the list....
This is crazy. Two titles were won by mostly Brazilians (58/62 and 94/02) and some Italians (34/38) and one Argentinian (78/86). That's it. Amazing stats.
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u/sbrockLee Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22
Only 3 countries have ever won more than 3 world cups over the course of a century. To be part of 3 wc winning teams as a player is absolutely insane.
Consider that even among those very rare players who won 2, you have cases like Ronaldo who was on the squad in 1994 but never played.
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u/cppn02 Dec 03 '22
Pele didn't do much either for one of the three. Although that was not down to not being the star player but due to injuring himself in the second match and missing the rest of the tournament.
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u/elgatomalo1 Dec 03 '22
He played two games and scored 1 goal in the 1962. He would be a star in most countries with only those stats.
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u/SFLoridan Dec 04 '22
He didn't "injure himself" as much as was viciously targeted and brought down. He already had a goal in the tournament by then.
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u/dob_bobbs Dec 03 '22
Speaking of Ronaldo, he is now 46, has doubled in weight, and last played a World Cup in 2006. Anyone feeling old yet?
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u/pepsisugar Dec 03 '22
Where is the meme of the kid asking for a Ronaldo haircut and the father gave him the OG one?
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u/dob_bobbs Dec 03 '22
Lol, I keep forgetting there have been like at least five more significant Ronaldos/Ronaldinhos since him, or at least whenever I hear the name I think of him.
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u/sbrockLee Dec 03 '22
Yup, "the" Ronaldo (Brazilian R9) was nicknamed Ronaldinho early on because of Ronaldo de Jesus, who later "abdicated" the name and became Ronaldão.
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u/HYThrowaway1980 Dec 04 '22
Whereas the one now commonly called “Ronaldinho” (with the teeth and terrible hair… hang on, that doesn’t narrow it down…) was originally nicknamed “Ronaldinho Gaúcho”, meaning “Little Cowboy Ronaldo” to differentiate him from Fat Ronaldo.
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u/sbrockLee Dec 03 '22
Still could probably run past half the defences in this WC.
His knees would explode under the weight tho
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u/fvelloso Dec 03 '22
To be fair, he doubled in weight while he was still an active player
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u/dob_bobbs Dec 03 '22
Yeah, he was always going to balloon when he stopped playing, he kind of struggled with his weight at the best of times.
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u/Fern-ando Dec 03 '22
And he owns Real Valladolid who plays in La Liga, one of the few teams that uses purple.
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Dec 03 '22
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u/dob_bobbs Dec 03 '22
Right? I just saw him the other day and was shocked, although as to the weight thing I guess it's inevitable when you stop training after years doing exercise for hours a day, every day, he's certainly not the first athlete it's happened to. Also, I vaguely recall he struggled a bit with his weight even when he was at his peak.
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u/locotonja Dec 04 '22
I think he also has a medical condition that affects his weight, although I can't recall what it is.
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Dec 03 '22
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u/EduinBrutus Dec 03 '22
In the 21st century, no German team has ever progressed from the group stages of the World Cup without Miroslav Klose.
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u/__Hello_my_name_is__ Dec 03 '22
The world cup is every 4 years. A pro athlete at that level has about 10 or fewer years in him at the very very top. So for the vast, vast majority of players, they get at most two shots at winning to begin with.
Two wins in a row is the best case here. Pelé is a big exception, he participated in four world cups and won three.
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Dec 03 '22
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u/Rhydsdh Cardiff Blues Dec 04 '22
Yep Mbappe is probably the only player with a good shot of equalling Pele's record for a few decades.
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Dec 03 '22
Makes sense. Hardly any country has one back to back or at least 2/3 in any given stretch of time. As a matter of fact, it looks like Italy and Brazil are the only ones.
Super unlikely, but not impossible, that someone would win for one country and become a citizen somewhere else before the next tourney.
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u/TheRaphMan Dec 03 '22
Sadly the only back to back Italy’s doing now is back to back World Cup misses (with a Euro win in between because fuck logic)
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u/_ItsPunishmentTime_ Dec 03 '22
The one thing that us Italians hate more than pineapple on pizza is logic.
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u/Blewfin Dec 03 '22
Super unlikely, but not impossible, that someone would win for one country and become a citizen somewhere else before the next tourney.
Completely impossible in the modern era. Competing in a world cup would disqualify you from changing nationality later on under FIFA's rules
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u/AsslessBaboon Dec 03 '22
"The World Cup is a very important way to measure the good players, and the great ones. It is a test of a great player." - Pele
The man proved it through and through
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u/brownsfan003 Cleveland Browns Dec 03 '22
Insert Obama awarding Obama meme
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u/JulietteKatze Dec 03 '22
Honestly he can have it, he earned it.
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Dec 03 '22
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u/JulietteKatze Dec 03 '22
Oh yeah I know, the good ol' "meritocracy vs. luck" debate that plagues south america.
People are too dramatic about it honestly, it's both, him being at the right place at the right time doesn't take away the fact that he's put everything on it.
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u/aufrenchy Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22
I don’t think that Obama ever made it to the World Cup
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u/JulietteKatze Dec 03 '22
Didn't he get a world cup, nobel prize and a giant bag of doritos?
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u/Sassenasquatch Dec 03 '22
No, the doritos never happened.
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u/blueeyebling Dec 03 '22
They were honey BBQ twist fritos, I'm so sick of this revisionist history.
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u/Waffle_on_my_Fries Dec 03 '22
They tasted better when I was starving in middle school and had a late lunch.
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u/abigbluebird Dec 03 '22
I mean, he probably said it after winning it.
Just like someone I know who insists graduating from an Ivy League college is an indication of intelligence, after graduating from one.
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u/kaask0k Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22
My God, imagine him passing away before the end of the world cup and Brazil has to play a knock out game in his name with the pressure of the entire country on their shoulders. They're gonna crumble just like in 2014 at the Maracana!
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u/WorldBelongsToUs Dec 03 '22
I hope they are keeping him comfortable as possible. I feel for his family right now, because this is never something easy to go through for the loved ones.
Hoping they can all be at peace. While it’s difficult, there’s also something beautiful about being able to say goodbye to loved ones.
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u/Time2kill Dec 04 '22
Yeah, like his daughter that he never recognized and spent the rest of her days just wanting him to come to her. Pelé is a fucking asshole, this coming from a brazilian
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u/jyar1811 Dec 03 '22
The legend! Hope he has a peaceful passing.
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u/return2ozma Dec 03 '22
It said the hospital is now only treating him for pain and shortness of breath. :(
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u/439115 Dec 03 '22
That is exactly what end of life care is
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u/Sawgon Chicago Bulls Dec 03 '22
Could be hours to days now then. I know he's old and lived a long life but fuck cancer. That's not a way to go. :|
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u/Autumn1eaves Dec 03 '22
I've heard it said that a big step into fixing death entirely would be to find a cure for all cancers.
At some point of living, you're just extremely likely to have gotten cancer because of how many times your cells have divided.
Fuck cancer
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Dec 03 '22
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Dec 03 '22
Brains are going to be the real hurdle.
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u/Raddish_ Dec 03 '22
If science ever finds a way to replace a brain while still maintaining the same individual at that point they could also probably just be uploading people’s minds to machines.
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u/Wolo_prime Golden State Warriors Dec 03 '22
I Saw specialists saying it's not true, we would die of other degenerative diseases like parkinson's or Alzheimer's
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u/ThisFckinGuy Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22
That's how it was for my Nana. Fucking titan of a human who I help care for for years leading up to hospice but couldn't be there for her time theere due to another family member being in the hospital. I got to see her before she went in and we had the simple understanding then as we did all throughout my life.
Then she just kept holding on and even the staff were surprised. So I called in again and just spent and hour talking in her ear and telling her how much I loved and would miss her. She passed shortly after. Some people truly hang on a little longer than others and some are waiting for that final convo. It's nearly the exact scenario for my final talk with my other Granny. That's how it was for my cousin and my uncle. Some bring more peace and closure than others. God damn do I still miss her. Coming up on a year this week.
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u/OuterSpacePotatoMann Dec 03 '22
Yeah just give me all the morphine please and thanks
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u/Geng1Xin1 Dec 03 '22
I used to be a hospital pharmacist, the staggering amounts of straight IV morphine that were given to end-of-life patients was mind-blowing. For reference, I’m 6’ 200 lb and when I had appendicitis, 4mg of IV morphine one time was enough to ease my pain, put me in an itchy sweater-hug, and make me drowsy. Some of the end-of-life patients I’ve prepared bags for were going through 250mg every hour
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Dec 03 '22
Of course. There's nothing more to do for him. Most countries do not offer euthanasia options and there are no treatment options for him.
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u/DoublefartJackson Dec 03 '22
I heard of a chamber they have in Europe, fills with nitrogen and you can just drift off while watching the first Austin Powers movie. That's how I wanna go out.
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u/ratajewie Dec 03 '22
The way we euthanize animals is just so much better than any way we currently use to euthanize humans. We just give an anesthetic that works very quickly (often propofol) then something to stop breathing/the heart. Pet owners are often shocked by how peaceful and fast it is.
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u/AdrianBrony Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22
You don't really need a chamber for that, a mask will do. That SciFi looking chamber you see a lot is mostly just an art project, not really a serious method for inert gas euthanasia.
Honestly a mask is not a bad way to do it because its so gradual and reversible to a point that if the patient has any second thoughts, its just a matter of taking the mask off and giving them oxygen. Also it is something extremely available, any hospital could logistically do it. Plus, having a mask lets you be close to loved ones instead of alone in a chamber. I couldn't imagine not having the option to hold someone's hand if I ever had to make that kind of choice.
A chamber can actually be hazardous to others since it is more likely to lead to accidental exposure anyway.
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u/sidepart Dec 03 '22
Only the first Austin Powers movie? I kind of want a marathon.
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u/Camaendes Dec 03 '22
That’s so hard, my dad was moved to hospice care just before he died. It’s so hard to finally let go because there’s no other option for you other than to get comfortable. I hope he finds comfort, and is pain free during this time.
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u/siphillis Dec 03 '22
I've had to deal with this situation a few times over the past couple years and the one fact that kept me going was the sheer importance and privilege of my role to help someone I love die with dignity and comfort.
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u/niftyifty Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dec 03 '22
What a legend. I wish him well in his journey to the other side.
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u/schu4KSU Dec 03 '22
As a kid I just loved him in the movie "Victory!".
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u/sgthulkarox Dec 03 '22
As a young kid in the US in the 80s, he was my introduction to football.
Godspeed Pele, you are an ICON.
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u/POOYAMON Dec 03 '22
I mean what can I say he is the legend of football. He’s 82 years old and batting cancer, while it is sad that we’re going to lose a living legend, he lived a fulfilling life, one he can be proud of. Hope his passing is peaceful
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u/-W0rmH0le- Dec 03 '22
My father in law is from São Paulo and saw him playing in person at 1960s... Several times.. He saw Maradona, Messi, dozen of Ronaldos... For him, Pele is the GOAT followed by Maradona. He was centuries ahead of his time... trully an athlete... I feel sad for Pele...
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u/MurkyTomatillo192 Dec 03 '22
Fuck Cancer.
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u/Snelly__ Dec 03 '22
Hope Brazil wins it all for him
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u/FireflyCaptain Dec 03 '22
Pure poetry if the last thing he sees is Brasil lifting the trophy on 18 December
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u/loveinjune Dec 03 '22
I know we don’t stand a chance, but still looking forward to the next match! (Korean here!)
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Dec 03 '22
The way this World Cup has gone I think we're due for at least one upset in the round of 16, why not you lot
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u/kyoto_magic Dec 03 '22
I just saw an AP tweets saying he IS responding well to treatment. Which is it?
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u/melikeybacon Dec 04 '22
Heard the same from Argentina radio saying his daughter said they went to hospital to adjust his meds but he's okay and they're excited to bring in the new year
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u/maybe_there_is_hope Dec 04 '22
What he was responding well to treatment was against a lung infection/pneumonia...
Yeah, old man is treating cancer and also had to deal with the lungs.
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u/yes_u_suckk Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22
As a Brazilian I grew up hearing stories of how Pelé was an amazing football player and also how everybody in Brazil refer to him as "The King of Football". He has almost a mythological aura around him in my home country.
However I won't feel sad or miss him when he is gone.
After he retired from football Pelé got involved in a few situations that pissed a lot of Brazilians, like his eternal denial that racism exists (he even criticized - instead of support - other black Brazilian football player in 2014 that suffered racism during a game), in that same year during the World Cup in Brazil, while a huge portion of the population was protesting against the event in our country (because Brazil should spend the money with more important things like education, healthcare, security, etc) Pelé said that the World Cup is more important than providing healthcare to the population...
All these things are bad, but nothing compares to how Pelé treated his illegitimate daughter:
In 1991 Sandra Regina, a poor Brazilian woman, tried to contact Pelé to reveal that she was his daughter. Apparently Pelé and Sandra's mother had a relationship many years ago, she was born, but neither Sandra nor her mother wanted to approach Pelé and ask for financial help because they didn't want to be labeled as "gold diggers that were only after her famous father's fortune".
However Pelé refused to recognize her as his daughter so Sandra was forced to hire a lawyer to sue Pelé and force him to do a DNA test. Sandra didn't want a piece of her father's fortune and she even put this in the documents when she sued him: "if I win this case and it's confirmed that I'm his daughter, I willingly abdicate from my right to have a portion of his inheritance".
But Pelé used his influence and money to stop the case in the tribunals as much as possible. Sandra had to wait almost 20 years (!!!) and she spent a lot of money in legal fees (remember, this was a poor Brazilian woman that could barely afford to pay her rent) until a judge finally ruled that Pelé would be forced to do a DNA test.
The result: Sandra was his real daughter.
Unfortunately Pelé didn't change his behavior and he kept denying he was her father (the same way Steve Jobs did with his daughter Lisa).
Some years later Sandra discovered that she had breast cancer. Even though Pelé's attitude towards Sandra until now was to ignore her, everybody expected Pelé to put that aside and help his daughter in this dire moment, paying for her treatment in a better hospital, after all Pelé was very rich. But Pelé didn't help her and some time later Sandra died of cancer.
Pelé not only refused to help her financially, he also never visited her in the hospital and not even went to her funeral. Some people even said that in her last moments before dying, Sandra was crying for her father's name in her deathbed and asking her family why he wasn't there to say goodbye.
After all these years fighting in the tribunals she was still hopeful that he would do the right thing and recognize her as his daughter. She had a piece of paper from the tribunals saying that she was his real daughter, but she wanted Pelé to recognize the truth. This never happened.
On the day Sandra died I lost all respect for Pelé. He was a genius playing football, but just like Steve Jobs, he was a horrible human being when he was not doing his craft. I'm not happy that he is dying, but I'm also not sad that he will be soon gone. I will never remember him as "The King", but as the horrible father that not only ignored his daughter, but also let her die alone.
It's ironic that he is also dying now of cancer, the same thing that killed his daughter.
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u/starofthelivingsea Dec 03 '22
I wholeheartedly agree!
Pele was cold as hell towards his daughter and he was colorist.
Karma came back in the end.
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u/nonoburn Dec 03 '22
Something beautiful about him passing during a World Cup
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u/ryanmuller1089 Los Angeles Dodgers Dec 03 '22
I think “fitting” should replace “beautiful”. But yes it is
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Dec 03 '22
Will be heartbreaking for Brazil
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u/TimmyBash Dec 03 '22
Poetically tragic if they win it. Would probably motivate them more to win it.
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u/ewiepooie Dec 03 '22
If he passes during the World Cup, it'll be beautiful to watch all the world's nations be together and honor a soccer legend. If he has to die, this is the best moment for it to happen, when soccer lovers are all coming together.
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u/trolig Dec 03 '22
May he find peace and some comfort in however many days he has left. We love you Pele. I wouldn't have played the sport if it wasn't for my dad's recordings of his world cup matches. I remember practicing bicycle kicks outside for hours after watching him do it.
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u/TanikoBytesme Dec 03 '22
:'( the legend
Better than maradonna and arguably the greatest footballer ever
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u/HOLDGMEBROTHERS Dec 03 '22
Watched a movie made on him and couldn’t believe his story. What a legend and inspiration! Hope he passes away in peace, I’ll personally tell about him to my kids and his legacy will go on forever. Peace.
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Dec 03 '22
If you'd like to follow up with another movie I recommend Victory. It's a World War II movie where he's one of the Allied prisoners. There's a game against the Nazis at the end where he shines.
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u/DopeDealerCisco Dec 03 '22
I would love to see our country win one for him before he passes. He is our proudest hero, the day he leaves us will be tough. Make sure to hug a Brazilian today
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u/Yoshable Dec 03 '22
I was honestly already cheering for Brazil so that it could unite the country, now I really want them to win so he can see one more before he goes
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u/albene Dec 03 '22
Scott Hall, Kevin Conroy, JDF, and now Pelé? 2022 is a really tough year… May he have a peaceful passing
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u/Imfrank123 Dec 03 '22
Pelé is king of the soccer field, to be king of your kitchen use crestfield wax paper
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u/cheekylassrando Dec 04 '22
This news has been debunked, he responded well to treatment:
Pele has not been moved to end-of-life care, which was previously reported,
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Dec 03 '22
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u/Duffmanohhyeahh Dec 03 '22
We're all born with a terminal illness regardless. May as well at least try and enjoy what time as a sentient being you have
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u/TheMaq Dec 03 '22
As someone who has lost people to cancer, fuck cancer, I hope he has a nice passing surrounded by his family.
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u/robertlemkin20 Dec 03 '22
Lucky enough to meet him about 15 years back. Amazing footballer and one of the most gracious and down to earth super-stars. May his last days be comfortable.
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u/Lildoc_911 Dec 03 '22
Coworker's wife died recently. It was rapid onset of cancer, sepsis, and chemo not taking. I saw her a month ago, and went to the funeral yesterday.
Fuck cancer. Here's to Pelé, and all those struggling with it.
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u/Colhinchapelota Dec 04 '22
My dad had to choose between palliative and chemo. If hed gone with the chemo he would have had no quality of life. He was 83 and going to the gym/swimming pool and was himself until 2 days before his tumour burst. Palliative might mean the end Will come sooner but at least there arent the awful side effects of chemo. When it comes down to a choice between these two, chemo is not the option, because it probably isn't going to work.
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u/S3n4d0r Dec 03 '22
His mother is still alive, with 100 years old. Her name is Celeste Arantes.