Pele recovering after undergoing successful surgery

Pele at an event earlier this year

Rio de Janeiro, Nov 14: Brazilian 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 the cancellation of an event at the Pele Museum in the coastal city of Santos due to abdominal pain reported by the former striker, reports Xinhua.

"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.