Brazilian football legend Pele said on Saturday that he feels “strong, with a lot of hope” despite medical problems that have kept the 82-year-old sports icon in the hospital with a respiratory infection. 

Pele, widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, was hospitalized earlier this week amid ongoing colon cancer treatments.

“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.

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