RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazilian football great Pele was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday to continue treatment for complications related to a urinary tract infection.

The 78-year-old was allowed to travel back to Brazil late Monday after being released from a hospital in France, where he had been under the care of doctors since April 2.

The former Santos and Brazil forward arrived at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos international airport early on Tuesday and made a brief statement to journalists before being taken to hospital.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has wished me a quick recovery. Thankfully everything has gone well and I'm here," Pele said while seated in a wheelchair.

According to the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper, the global football icon will undergo surgery to remove a kidney stone.

Doctors did not say when he would be discharged.

"At the moment, he is undergoing admission exams and his health is good," the Albert Einstein Hospital said in a brief statement.

Pele was admitted to the American Hospital of Paris on April 2 after attending an event with Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Kylian Mbappe.

On Monday, Pele received a hospital visit from Brazil captain Neymar, who posted a photo of the meeting on his Instagram account.

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.

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