Sao Paulo (AFP)

"King" Pelé will celebrate his 80th birthday on Friday, confined to his home in Brazil to protect himself from the new coronavirus, while health problems in recent years have made him more vulnerable.

Even locked up, the Brazilian doesn't lose his sense of humor: "I'm fine, it's just that I'm not going to be able to play this week," joked the three-time world champion during a video chat with the President of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) earlier this week.

With his usual charisma and smile, he remains very active on his social networks, where he does not fail to recall some of his exploits, such as his first goal with the Santos club at the age of 15, or the first Cup. of the world he won in Brazil in 1958 with a memorable action.

Born on October 23, 1940 in Tres Corazones, in the state of Minas Gerais (center), Pelé says he does not usually celebrate his birthday.

But he expressed his gratitude for all the congratulatory messages he received from the round balloon planet.

Several tributes have been paid to him in his country, in particular through an exhibition in his honor at the Sao Paulo Football Museum, and a fresco drawn by the Brazilian artist Kobra in the city of Santos, also in the State of Sao Paulo.

"Thank you very much to Brazil and the Brazilians, I have always been very happy to wear this jersey! Thank you for the love expressed on the occasion of my birthday," the former striker wrote in a post on Instagram on Wednesday. accompanied by a photo celebrating a Seleçao goal.

Considered by FIFA to be the best player of the 20th century, a distinction he shares with Argentinian Diego Maradona, Pelé has retired to his home to avoid the Covid-19 contagion which is hitting Brazil, the second most bereaved in the world behind the United States, with nearly 155,000 deaths.

- Highs and lows -

The health of the Brazilian star has seen its ups and downs in recent years.

In February, his son Edinho revealed he was living "reclusive" and "suffering from some form of depression" due to hip problems.

"He cannot walk normally. Only with a walker. He is a little better compared to a recent period when he was in a wheelchair, but he has difficulty moving," he explained.

Pelé had quickly reassured his admirers by affirming that he was "fine".

"I have good days and others not so good, it's normal for people of my age," said the former player.

In addition to his mobility problems, King Pelé has been hospitalized several times in recent years.

His most recent hospitalization was in 2019, when he was admitted to a Paris hospital and then transferred to Sao Paulo to have a kidney stone removed.

Five years earlier, he had been admitted to intensive care for another urinary tract infection which had forced him to undergo dialysis on his left kidney.

Pelé has only one kidney since the days when he was still a player.

A broken rib during a match had damaged his right kidney, which was eventually removed.

"I have to thank God for my health which allowed me to reach this age, lucid, not very intelligent, but lucid," he joked in a video released Tuesday.

The champion's health problems also coincided with the legal problems of Edinho, one of his seven children, who made several trips back and forth to prison after being sentenced to 13 years in prison for money laundering resulting from drug trafficking.

In March, his younger brother Jair Arantes do Nascimento "Zoca" died of cancer.

© 2020 AFP