Pelé's health worries his son

"I have good days and bad days. It's normal for people of my age," "The King" said in a statement.

The three-time world champion, who will be 80 years old next October, stated that he continues to "accept physical limitations in the best possible way" and emphasized his desire to keep "the ball rolling."

Alarms went off this week when Edson Cholbi Nascimento 'Edinho,' Pelé's son, stated in an interview with the Globoesporte website that the Brazilian legend was suffering from a "certain" depression due to his mobility problems, as he currently can only walk with the aid of a walker.

"He is quite fragile in terms of mobility. He underwent a hip transplant, but didn't have the ideal rehabilitation and has mobility issues, which ultimately generates some depression (...)," explained Edinho, who is currently a technical coordinator for the base categories of Santos, the club where his father emerged.

"He is 'The King,' he has always been such an imposing figure and today he can't walk properly, he feels very uncomfortable and embarrassed about it," added Edinho.

In recent years, the health of the former Santos forward has been a cause for concern, after several surgeries on his spine and hip, as well as problems related to the urinary system.

The last setback was in April of last year, when he underwent surgery to remove a kidney stone that kept him hospitalized for several days. Pelé has only had one kidney since the 70s.