Martina Navratilova saddened by soccer great Pele's deteriorating health amid cancer battle

Martina Navratilova expressed her sorrow upon learning of soccer legend Pele's deteriorating health. The Brazilian great was reportedly moved to palliative care on Saturday after he stopped responding to chemotherapy for colon cancer.

American tennis legend Navratilova reacted to the news on social media after multiple reports suggested that Pele was in end-of-life care.

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Later on Saturday, Pele himself released a statement to his fans and well-wishers, assuring everyone that he was in stable condition, and also shared a photo of his hospital medical report suggesting that he was doing better. The 82-year-old also urged fans to turn their focus towards supporting Brazil in the ongoing FIFA World Cup.

"My friends, I want to keep everyone calm and positive. I'm strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual. I want to thank the entire medical and nursing team for all the care I have received," Pele wrote on Instagram.

"And watch Brazil in the World Cup too!" the Brazilian added.

Meanwhile, Martina Navratilova herself has been actively following the FIFA World Cup, reacting to some of the surprising results and big moments along the way. The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion praised Ons Jabeur's Tunisia for scoring an upset win against Caroline Garcia's France earlier this week. She also reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial goal claim during one of Portugal's group-stage matches, suggesting that it didn't seem like he touched the ball and should not be awarded the goal.

Shortly before the tournament started, Navratilova had criticized the FIFA authorities for giving the hosting rights of the World Cup to Qatar, reacting to news of poor behavior with some of the reporters and journalists.

"What happens when countries that should never get anywhere near a massive sporting event like the World Cup, get awarded with hosting," Navratilova wrote on Twitter.

Martina Navratilova amazed to see Iranian fans waving American flags after team's FIFA World Cup loss to USA

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Martina Navratilova recently reacted to another World Cup development and was surprised to see fans in Iran waving the American flag and celebrating the USA's victory over Iran in the group stage earlier in the tournament. The American team beat Iran 1-0 and progressed to the Round of 16 as a result of the victory. After the match, videos emerged where fans in Iran were seen celebrating and chanting in support of America.

Navratilova expressed her amazement at the same on Twitter.

"Wow!!!" Martina Navratilova wrote.