Mbappe, Rivaldo, Vini Jr pay tribute to Pele as the football legend is 'moved to end-of-life care'

PSG forward Kylian Mbappe, Brazil icon Rivaldo and current Selecao star Vinicius Junior have wished football legend Pele well on social media after the Brazilian was reportedly moved to end-of-life care in hospital.

Reports in Brazil say the three-time World Cup winner's doctors have stopped chemotherapy with his body not responding to it in his fight against bowel cancer and he is now receiving measures to relieve pain in a ' palliative care' ward.

Brazil manager Tite and the national team's players had wished the national icon 'all the best' after his admission to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday.

Fans then unveiled a 'Pele - Get Well Soon' banner during his nation's World Cup clash with Cameroon on Friday.

Pele had played down concerns over his health with an Instagram post claiming he was only in hospital for a 'monthly visit' after going in with 'swelling all over and heart failure issues', with an update on Thursday adding he was in a 'stable' condition in the hospital and his daughter Kely insisting there was 'no cause for alarm'.

However, a report by Folha de Sao Paulo on Saturday, said Pele isn't responding any longer to the chemotherapy treatment he has been undergoing since last September to treat his bowel cancer.

In response, Mbappe tweeted: 'Pray for the King', while Rivaldo and Vinicius Jr simply added 'Strength King' on their social media pages. Vinicius' Real Madrid and Brazil team-mate posted on Friday saying: 'Strength, King Pele! Praying and rooting for your recovery!'

They said he is now in palliative care and won't be subjected to invasive tests or treatment. Palliative care is for patients with potentially life-threatening diseases or conditions and end-of-life care.

Pele - whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento - is regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time.

He won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and scored 643 goals in 659 official matches for the Brazilian club Santos. He scored 77 times in 92 games for his country's national team.

Pele recorded a video for Instagram on his 82nd birthday back on October 23 and accompanied it with the message: 'On my birthday, I just want to express my gratitude.

'Life is good. Turning 82 with my family, in good health, is the best gift. Thank you for everything I have received.'

Pele was hospitalised for six days last year and underwent surgery to remove a tumour in his colon.

The Globo news site in Brazil said Pele was undergoing routine examinations in Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital when the undisclosed issue was detected.

There had also been heartfelt tributes from with the Brazil camp ahead of the game.

'We found out the news on Wednesday,' coach Tite said ahead of the Cameroon game.

'He is possibly one of the biggest representatives of Brazil. We wish him good health. That's the feeling of all of us from the Brazil squad. We are wishing Pele all the best.'

Pele has been battling bowel cancer since he was diagnosed with a tumour in his large intestine at the end of August 2021. He was undergoing routine examinations which were delayed a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The octogenarian has also struggled with his mobility in recent years after three hip operations.