The three-times World Cup winner has planned to spend Friday isolated with a few family members outside Sao Paulo, where he is expected to receive a flood of tributes from players, fans, celebrities and politicians.

His long-time spokesman, Pepito Fornos, said Pele would probably spend his birthday at his mansion in the beachfront city of Guaruja, on the coast of Sao Paulo state, where he has been since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also has residences in Santos and Sao Paulo.

"He will only stay with his family. No party at all," Fornos said. "That has been the case all his life."

Fornos said Pele wasn't speaking publicly because he was still mourning his brother Jair, who died of cancer in March.

Pele is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 77 goals, and the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player - in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

He also collected a slew of trophies for Brazilian club Santos from 1956-74, including 10 Sao Paulo state league titles - a top tournament at the time - six Brazilian championships, two Copa Libertadores titles and the Intercontinental Cup in 1962 and 1963.

The Brazilian ended his career with the New York Cosmos, where he played from 1975-77, winning one national title and attracting sports greats like boxer Muhammad Ali to watch him play as soccer took root in the United States.

Pele was also Brazil's sports minister from 1995-98.

In December 2000, he was announced as joint winner of the FIFA award for player of the century with Argentina great Diego Maradona.

The Brazilian received the most votes from members of the soccer body, while the Argentine prevailed in an online vote.

He's had mobility problems since a failed hip replacement surgery in 2012 and has been forced to use walkers and wheelchairs in public. He has also been admitted to hospitals in recent years for kidney and prostate procedures.

The celebrations in Brazil for Pele began on February 20, but he didn't attend the unveiling of a life-size statue of him at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro that day.

Australian Associated Press