Hospitalized football icon Pele says he's 'strong, with a lot of hope' amid reports of being put on end-of-life care

Legendary Brazilian footballer Pele on Saturday said that he was feeling 'strong' and urged everyone to remain 'calm and positive' after unconfirmed reports of him being moved to end-of-life support emerged. The only player to have won three football World Cups, Pele has been undergoing treatment for colon cancer, but after a Brazilian newspaper on Saturday reported that the 82-year-old is receiving palliative care after he stopped responding to chemotherapy, the world started praying for his speedy recovery."My friends, I want to keep everyone calm and positive," Pele said in an Instagram post. "I'm strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual."

Doctors treating Pele said earlier Saturday that the Brazilian legend remained "stable," with his condition not having deteriorated over the last day.Pele "has had a good response to care without any worsening in the clinical picture in the last 24 hours," doctors at Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital said in a statement.Doctors made no reference to media reports earlier on Saturday that the three-time World Cup winner was receiving end-of-life care.Pele was admitted to hospital earlier this week for what doctors said was a "re-evaluation" of the chemotherapy he has been undergoing since surgery to remove a colon tumor in September last year.At the ongoing World Cup in Qatar, players expressed their support for Pele.France striker Kylian Mbappe on Saturday tweeted: "Pray for the King."Nicknamed "O Rei" (The King), he scored more than 1,200 goals in one of the most storied careers in sport, before retiring in 1977.