Football legend Pele 'taken to hospital' in Paris with 'strong fever'

Pele's entourage told French media he was taken to hospital as a "precautionary measure".

Legendary Brazilian former football player Pele
Image: Pele was taken to hospital as a 'precautionary measure'
Why you can trust Sky News

Brazilian football legend Pele has been taken to hospital with a non-life-threatening condition, according to a French media report.

The 78-year-old was in Paris attending a social event with French footballer Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday, but later came down with a "strong fever".

He was transported to hospital overnight as a "precautionary measure", Pele's entourage told France's RMC Sport.

Pele, whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is widely considered one of the best footballers of all time, having won the World Cup three times with Brazil's national team.

A World Cup winner himself, Mbappe has been likened to a young Pele, but speaking on Tuesday he admitted he would never match the Brazilian's goalscoring feats.

"Even with the goals in the playgrounds, goals on the PlayStation, I could never equal 1,250 goals," he said.

"It's really a long way off. I'll try and get as close as I can, but I think it'll still be a long way off by the end of my career."

Mbappe, 20, has so far scored 103 goals in his professional career.