Pele survived by wife Marcia Aoki, several children: Know all about football legend’s family

Football’s first global icon and one of the greatest players to ever grace the field, Pele passed away at 82 years of age on Thursday. Tributes poured in for the Brazil legend and three-time World Cup winner from all over the world. 

Pele died in hospital after a prolonged bout with illness. He was suffering from colon cancer and had recently stopped responding to chemotherapy treatment, it was reported. Pele’s family had recently gathered at the hospital where Pele was admitted to for Christmas celebrations.

On the football pitch, Pele will forever be remembered as the ‘Black Pearl’ who wowed millions all over the world. He is the only player in history to win the FIFA World Cup thrice. Pele played most of his career for Brazilian club Santos, and later for US club New York Cosmos. In his personal life, Pele married thrice, was reported to have had several affairs, and has seven children. Here’s all you need to know about the legend’s family.

Pele survived by wife Marcia Aoki, seven children

Pele was the son of a footballer. His father Dondinho was a centre forward who played domestically in Brazil for several clubs including Fluminense FC and Atletico Mineiro.

Pele married for the first time in 1966 to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi. The couple had two children, his eldest daughter Kelly Cristina (born 1967) and son Edson aka Edinho (born 1970). Pele and Rosemeri divorced in 1982. The couple had twins Joshua and Celeste in 1996 via fertility treatment. Pele and his second wife divorced in 2008.

Pele then married Japanese-Brazilian medical equipment importer Marcia Aoki in 2016. The couple had first met each other in the mid-1980s and again in 2008 and had been dating since 2010. Pele was married to Aoki at the time of his death. 

Between marriages, the late Pele had significant affairs including one with TV presenter Xuxa (from 1981 to 1986). Pele had more children from different affairs, including Sandra Machado, who was born in 1964 out of an affair with housemaid Anizia Machado. After years of legal tussle, Pele relented to a DNA test which proved that Sandra was Pele’s daughter. Sandra Regina Machado Arantes do Nascimento Felinto, who grew to become politician, died in 2006.

Pele had a daughter, Flávia Christina Kurtz Nascimento, with journalist Lenita Kurtz from an encounter in 1968. Pele had another daughter Jennifer Nascimento, who was born in 1978.

READ | Pele death: Netizens react to Brazilian football great's demise, flood social media with tributes