RIO DE JANEIRO, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian football legend Pele is recovering in hospital after undergoing successful surgery to remove a kidney stone, doctors said on Saturday.

The 78-year-old was admitted to a hospital in France on April 2 after falling ill during an event with Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Kylian Mbappe.

The was allowed to travel back to Brazil last Monday but was immediately taken to the Albert Einstein hospital upon his arrival in Sao Paulo.

In a brief statement, the hospital gave no indication of when Pele would be discharged following Saturday's operation.

"The procedure was a success and the patient is back in his room," it said.

The only footballer to win the World Cup three times and scorer of 1281 career goals in 1363 games, Pele is regarded by many as the greatest player in history. Enditem

In recent years he has been afflicted by a series of health issues, including complications from hip replacement surgery and prostate problems.