‘Another night together’: Pelé ‘fights with faith’ in hospital as family gather

Two of his daughters have been at his side in the Albert Einstein hospital for most of this week and they were joined on Saturday by his son Edinho who came from Londrina, 540km away, where he coaches the second division team.

One of his daughters, Kely Nascimento, published a picture on Instagram late on Friday of her hugging her father on his hospital bed with the message: "We're still here, fighting and with faith. Another night together." Her sister Flavia Arantes do Nascimento also posted the picture, which showed her sleeping on a couch, on social media.

However, news his children were coming together prompted fears he was nearing the end of his life.

Recent performances by Argentina's Lionel Messi, most notably in securing his first World Cup title last weekend, have also elevated his status.

He then went on to make Brazil's Santos one of the greatest club sides that ever played, winning every title possible. He retired in 1974 but returned to play for the New York Cosmos in what was then the nascent North American soccer league.

His record of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games is still unsurpassed.