Wearing the Brazil national team jersey, a group of fans was busy making a cutout in Al Wakrah, on the outskirts of Doha. The cutout had the face of a smiling Pele, the man who put Brazil on the world map.
“We are looking for his jersey here,” one of the fans said in broken English. “We will win here, our sixth title, and it will be for him,” another added.
Pele, being treated at a hospital in Sao Paulo, has been all over Qatar for the last two days as the footballing world poured in wishes for the 82-year-old’s speedy recovery.
For many the world’s greatest footballer ever, Pele has been not keeping well for the last few days. He was admitted to hospital in Sao Paulo earlier this week for what doctors said was a “re-evaluation” of the chemotherapy he has been undergoing since surgery to remove a colon tumour in September last year.
The Albert Einstein hospital said on Saturday that Pele is responding well to treatment for a respiratory infection and his health condition has not worsened over the latest 24 hours.
In a statement released on Saturday, Pele said messages of support as well as watching Brazil at the World Cup had given him “energy.”
“My friends, I want to keep everyone calm and positive,” he said in a statement on Instagram. “I’m strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual. I want to thank the entire medical and nursing team for all the care I have received.”
“I have a lot of faith in God and every message of love I receive from you all over the world keeps me full of energy. And watch Brazil in the World Cup, too! Thank you so much for everything.”
In Doha, buildings were lit with a “Get well soon” message for the Brazil football great. The Lusail Stadium and the tower next to the Khalifa Stadium adorned pictures of Pele in his famous No. 10 shirt. On the Corniche, Doha’s seafront promenade, dozens of drones that come alive each night drew a Brazil shirt with Pele’s name and No. 10 on the back.
Pele has been everywhere. “For me, he is the greatest ever. He won three World Cups and put Brazil on the map to make it this nation that we admire. He’s the face of Brazilian football and we hope he gets better as quickly as possible. We have spoken so many times whenever the football community met. He is such a wonderful person,” said former Germany international Juergen Klinsmann said during a news conference on Sunday.
“My idol,” was how former Arsenal manager and now head of Fifa’s Technical Study Group, Arsene Wenger, described the legend. “I had spoken to his agent a few weeks back. In fact, I was very surprised when news came that he was not well. I wish him a quick recovery.”
“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,” Brazil manager Tite said. “Pray for the king,” tweeted France’s Kylian Mbappe on Saturday