Former football megastar Pele vaccinated in Brazil

Brazilian football legend Pele poses after receiving from 46-year-old industrial engineer Jarbas Menighini (out of frame), his handmade replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy, in the surroundings of the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 12, 2014 on the eve of the FIFA world Cup final between Germany and Argentina. [AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBA]

Former Brazilian soccer star Pele was vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday, the same day that a record 1,641 people were reported to have died in the South American nation after contracting the virus.

Pele posted a picture of him receiving the vaccination on Instagram giving a thumbs-up sign.

"Today is an unforgettable day - I received the vaccine!" the former Santos and New York Cosmos player said, without saying which vaccine he was given.

"The pandemic is not over yet. We must keep discipline to preserve lives until many people have taken the vaccine. Please continue to wash your hands and stay home if possible.

Brazilian soccer great Pele, 80, receives a dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in Brazil, in this image posted on his Instagram account on March 2, 2021. [Courtesy of @pele/Instagram via REUTERS.]

"When you go out please don’t forget your mask and maintain social distance. This will pass if we can think of others and help each other."

Brazil has seen 257,361 people die from the virus, more than any other country outside the United States, and is currently facing a new spike in cases.

The previous record daily high came in July 2020.