RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Football legend Pele is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery to remove kidney stones.

The 74-year-old was admitted to Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein hospital on Wednesday after canceling an event at the Pele Museum in the coastal city of Santos due to abdominal pain.

"Today he had surgery to remove kidney stones and he is now in a stable condition and recovering," the hospital said in a statement.

It is not the first time that Pele has suffered health problems.

In 2004, the three-time World Cup winner underwent emergency eye surgery for a detached retina and in 2012 he had a hip replacement.