Pele, Brazilian and world football legend, was vaccinated against Covid-19 on Tuesday and called the day “unforgettable”.
The three-time world champion, aged 80, took the opportunity to call on his compatriots not to lower their guard in the face of a pandemic which currently kills more than 1,100 people per day in Brazil.
“Today was an unforgettable day. I was vaccinated!” King Pelé writes on his Instagram account. His message is accompanied by a photo showing him with a protective mask, thumbs up, while a person vaccinates him.
Asked by AFP, Pelé’s press service did not specify where the vaccination had taken place, what type of vaccine had been used or whether it was the first or the second injection.
The only footballer in history to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970), Pelé has been isolated at his home in the state of Sao Paulo since the start of the pandemic which has already killed more than 255,000 in Brazil. . A figure only exceeded by the United States.
Pelé’s health has deteriorated sharply in recent years. The former Santos star is limiting his outings and the few videos he posts on social media show him in a wheelchair or clinging to a loved one.