PELE’s will reveals he could have a secret daughter – who is in line to get a cut of his rumoured £80million fortune.
The football icon – who died in December aged 82 – left 30 per cent of his estate to his widow, third wife Marcia – with the rest to be split between his children.
7
7
7
Pelé was known to have seven children in total, including a secret daughter who he refused to acknowledge until years after her death.
Now it has emerged he could have an eighth child, who is set to take a DNA test.
Pelé left room in his will for her to get her share of inheritance, said Marcia’s lawyer Luiz Kignel.
He said: “He indicated the possibility of the existence of another daughter, whose recognition will depend on a DNA test.”
The Brazilian woman, who was not named, had previously started legal action to prove she was Pele’s daughter.
In September, a court in Sao Paulo ordered ailing Pelé to submit to a DNA test, according to the G1 website.
But Mr Kignel said the test “could not be carried out (on Pele) due to the pandemic and the state of his health.”
Instead her DNA will be compared to one of Pelé’s other children to confirm if he was her father.
The lawyer added Marcia will inherit the soccer hero’s mansion in Guaruja, a seaside resort town south of Sao Paulo, where the couple lived.
Other assets include more real estate and a stake in the Pelé brand, Mr Kignel said, adding that a complete inventory has yet to be made.
Three-times World Cup winner Pelé – hailed the greatest footballer of all time – was said to have a fortune of around £80million, most of it earned after he retired.
However other reports have claimed the will is worth around £13million.
Pelé was married three times, but once admitted he did not know how many children he had after countless wild affairs.
He had three children with first wife Rosemeri – Kelly, Edinho and Jennifer.
Daughter Flavia was born after a romance with journalist Lenita Kurtz.
In 1994 he married second wife, gospel singer Assaria, who gave birth to twins Joshua and Celeste.
However it also emerged he had a fling with his housekeeper Anizia Machado.
Her daughter Sandra Regina, born in 1964, spent years trying to prove she was Pelé’s daughter.
But he refused to recognise her, even after a court ruled he was her father in 1996, and she died “heartbroken” ten years later.
He finally acknowledged Sandra in his will, and it was reportedly his “dying wish” to meet her sons.
Just a day before his death in December, he had his first meeting with grandsons Octavio and Gabriel.
They are expected to inherit Sandra’s share of the estate.
Gabriel told the Mirror: “I thank God for providing this moment – it was what my mother dreamed of most. I spoke to my aunts, and they said that our grandfather wanted to see us.
“Every family has fights and rows, ours is no different, but there are moments when union and love are more important than anything else.”
Pelé’s other children also gathered by his death bed, including daughter Kely who shared the last picture of him in hospital.
The icon – known in Brazil as “O Rei” or The King – had been battling colon cancer.
Thousands of fans lined the streets of his home town Santos for his funeral in January.
Brazil’s president led mourners paying respects before he was buried in the world’s tallest cemetery overlooking the pitch that made him famous.
7
7
7
7
