Pele 'in special care unit' in hospital after contracting infection

The legendary Brazilian footballer remained in hospital in Sao Paulo for a second day, sparking further concerns over the condition of his health

Brazilian football legend Pele looks at the FIFA World Cup trophy during a FIFA event outside the Hotel de Ville in Paris

Brazilian football legend Pele is thought to be fighting off a severe infection in a special care unit.

Concerns over the Brazilian football player’s health continued to mount on the second day of his hospital treatment, following his admission for a urinary tract infection at the medical centre in Sao Paulo earlier this week.

The Albert Einstein clinic, which treated the 74-year-old world champion when he underwent kidney stone surgery two weeks ago, released a statement yesterday saying that his condition was “stable”.

They moved him into the unit to be monitored after his condition worsened.

A statement from the hospital confirmed that he was not in an intensive care unit.

He is said to have contracted a urinary infection after undergoing surgery to remove kidney stones at the start of November.

Pele was last taken to hospital on 13 November after he was forced to cancel a museum appearance with severe stomach cramps.

“He made some tests and will be discharged tomorrow. Everything is fine,” Jose Fornos Rodrigues, the former player's personal aide, told Reuters at the time.

Pele aided three Brazilian World Cup victories during his career, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time.

Fifa named him “Football Player of the Century”, while the International Olympic Committee bestowed him with the title “Athlete of the Century”.