Share

Pele meets with Obama in Brazil

Sao Paulo - Pele met with former US president Barack Obama in Sao Paulo Thursday where the pair discussed how "to make the world better," the Brazilian football great said on Twitter.

Weeks after surgery to remove a kidney stone, a healthy-looking Pele smiled and clutched Obama's hand as they posed for a photo, later shared on social media by the three-time World Cup winner.

"Met with President Obama while he was in town. We spoke about how to work together to make the world better," Pele said.

"Happy we are on the same team."

Obama was in Sao Paulo for a digital innovation conference.

Pele, widely considered to be the greatest footballer in history, was admitted to a Paris hospital last month after appearing at a promotional event with France striker Kylian Mbappe.

He spent almost a week in the medical facility before returning to Sao Paulo, where he was admitted to another hospital for the kidney stone procedure.

Pele, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and perhaps most memorably in Mexico in 1970 when his swashbuckling team re-defined modern football, has had several health scares in recent years.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
53% - 8 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
47% - 7 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE