Pele’s daughter took to social media Christmas Day night to thank the hospital for looking after her father. The Brazil legend’s family have gathered in hospital as his condition worsened – with his daughter vowing to stick by his side as the 82-year-old receives care after his cancer progressed.

Kely Nascimento shared one photo earlier on Sunday from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with an emotional caption. She took to her Instagram profile again later in the day to express her gratitude to the medical staff at the hospital.

“We always have a lot to be thankful for, even spending Christmas in the hospital we are aware of the privilege it is to be in a hospital like @hosp_einstein,” she wrote. “To see our father treated by these professionals, super competent and extremely affectionate. Not a moment goes by that we forget this privilege. Even in sadness, we just have to be grateful. Thank you for being together, thank you for all your love, thank you for being here with him now.”

She ended the post with, “Merry Christmas. Lots of health, lots of love, lots of joy, lots of laughter and lots of passion, today and always, for all of you.”

Both pictures from Christmas included Pele’s son Edinho. The Brazil legend had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021 but was admitted to hospital on November 29. A hospital statement released earlier this week said Pele needed further care “related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions”.

The daughter of the three-time World Cup winner confirmed family members would spend Christmas with him in hospital with grandchildren also joining.

Pele’s daughter has been active on social media and she posted an image on her Instagram profile on Saturday of her sitting next to Edinho and two of his children at the hospital.

“He (Edson) is here,” she captioned the photo, adding in a hashtag “I will not be leaving, nobody will take me out of here.”

She also previously posted a moving photo of her father in a hospital bed as they cherish “another night together” while he continues his cancer battle.  “We continue to be here, in fight and in faith. Another night together,” his daughter wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of Pele being hugged in bed. Pele’s granddaughter Sophia can also be seen in the photo.

Along with the moving photo, a video was shared showing Pele lying in his bed while family spoke to him. Pele is widely considered Brazil’s greatest ever player and he was able to watch his country’s campaign at the World Cup in Qatar, despite being in hospital.

He burst on to the global scene as a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup, helping Brazil to the first of their record five successes, before also winning the 1962 and 1970 World Cups with the national side. Brazil players held a banner of support for Pele after their World Cup win over South Korea

Pele was able to follow the World Cup closely around his treatment and the 82-year-old also watched the final of the tournament from his bed. Having commended Brazil, despite their quarterfinal exit, he once again took to social media to congratulate Lionel Messi and Argentina after their dramatic penalty shootout win against France.

“Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way. Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved,” Pele wrote on Instagram. My dear friend, [Kylian] Mbappe, scoring four goals in a final. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle to the future of our sport.”

Mbappe and Brazilian Neymar have been among those sending well wishes to the soccer icon. Concern for Pele accelerated last month when a news report emerged that he was being moved to end-of-life care, something his daughters swiftly denied.

Speaking to Fantastico about her father last month, Kely explained, “About three weeks ago he got Covid. He is vaccinated, with all the vaccines, but because of the cancer medicine, the chemotherapy, which is fragile, he got a lung infection. That’s why he went to the hospital, because of the lung infection. Is he serious? It’s serious, because he’s a certain age, he’s treating cancer.”

Flavia, his other daughter, went on to explain how the hospital is the best place for Pele to get the care he needs.

She said, “At the hospital, he is better assisted. But he’s not in the ICU, he’s in a normal room. So he’s not at risk. As a person with a more delicate health, it is better to be in the hospital.”

The hospital provided an update on Pele’s condition earlier this week, detailing that he now requires care for cardiac and renal dysfunction and his family are by his bedside.

• A Daily Mail report