Pele treated in Paris hospital – sources

The 78-year-old Brazilian three-time World Cup winner was being treated for “a light fever” prior to the long flight back to his home country, the sources told AFP, indicating that he was still in hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Pele, who won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970, was in Paris for a promotional appearance alongside France star Kylian Mbappe.

The declining health of the player known as ‘O Rei’ has been a cause for concern in recent times, and the meeting with Mbappe had already been postponed last November as a result.

Previously, Pele had admitted to not being up to the task of lighting the flame at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Before that, Pele spent time in intensive care in Brazil in late 2014 following a kidney complaint.