How many children does Pele have and where are they now?
The three-time World Cup winner had seven children with four different partners.
Pele's family
Pele was the quintessential fox in the box in football, a player who traded in both quantity and quality and whose staggering career stats alone distinguished him as a legend. Peak footage is hard to come by. Pele was a youthful sensation in the late 1950s who shone on the world stage for nearly 15 years. What is provided shows a quick start with a devastating finish.
Those who saw him in action describe him as a player who elevated the sport of football to a new level, tormenting defences as he broke record after record. While his on-field achievements are public knowledge, many are curious about the three-time World Cup winner’s personal life. Here are a few details about his five daughters and two sons with four different women:
Kely Christina Arantes do Nascimento
Kely is Pele’s first child and eldest daughter, born on January 13, 1967, to his first wife, Rosemeri. As she became older, Kely and her sisters started the Nascimento Foundation, a charity that promotes sports and the arts to encourage children around the world to have a sustainable and peaceful future. She has recently shifted her attention to the fields of sports diplomacy and sports for development, working to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals through global travel and storytelling.
The post-production phase of Kely’s feature documentary, Warrior of a Beautiful Game, which will address gender discrimination in sports, is underway. She spends time with her four children, Malcolm, Ruby, Enzo, and Ella, while she is not working.
Flavia Arantes do Nascimento
While still married to Rosemeri, Pele had daughter Flávia, his second child, with journalist Lenita Kurtz in 1968. Currently, Flávia serves as an advisor in a prominent hospital in Brazil.
It was acknowledged as one of the top specialist hospitals in the world in 2021. She was also given the opportunity to join the Little Prince Hospital’s Board of Trustees.
Sandra Regina Machado Nascimento
After having an affair with housekeeper Anisia Machado in 1963, Pelé’s third daughter, Sandra Regina Machado, was born. The football player declined to take a DNA test and continued to deny being her father for many years. When Sandra came of age, she sued the football player in 1991. Sandra was recognised as his daughter by the courts based on DNA evidence two years later.
She was given permission to take her father’s last name in 1996 despite Pelé’s appeal, which was upheld. Sandra eventually wrote a book, The Daughter the King Didn’t Want, on her traumatic path in the wake of her father’s rejection. In addition, she was elected to the Santos City Council. Sandra passed away from cancer in October 2006. She left behind her husband and two children.
Edinho “Edson” Arantes do Nascimento
Edinho is Pelé’s fourth child and first son with wife Rosemeri was born on August 27, 1970. Edinho was a professional Brazilian football player who played before retiring in 1999. He went by the nickname Edson, which is also his father’s real name. Throughout his professional career, goalkeeper Edinho represented four Brazilian teams: Santos, Portuguesa Santista, So Caetano, and Ponte Preta.
Edinho joined Santos in 2007 as a goalkeeping coach before being promoted to assistant coach in 2015. His father’s hometown club, Tricordiano, was one of the clubs he managed in the years that followed, although he eventually returned to Santos as a development coordinator and then a manager in 2019. Edinho was appointed head coach of Brazilian football team Londrina at the start of December 2022.
Jennifer Cholby Arantes do Nascimento
In June 1978, the World Cup champion and Rosemeri welcomed their fifth child, a daughter named Jennifer Cholby Nascimento. Jennifer has made the decision to live a private life, unlike her famous father and celebrity siblings.
Except for a picture of Pele holding her as a newborn, there aren’t many known facts about her or public images of her.
Joshua Arantes do Nascimento
On September 28, 1996, Pelé and his wife Assiria welcomed boy-girl twins into the world, making them his sixth and seventh children. Although his son Josh chooses to maintain a low profile on social media, public records reveal that, like his father and older half-brother Edson, he played football. He no longer competes, however records indicate that between 2013 and 2014, he was a player for the Santos club.
In 2016, he moved to the US two years later to play forward for the Spartans soccer team at the University of Tampa. Josh holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology and human performance, according to his Instagram bio. He is currently still living in the United States and working as a strength and conditioning specialist. Additionally, he serves as a coach at Florida’s Golden Goal Soccer Academy.
Celeste Arantes do Nascimento
Josh’s identical twin sister, Celeste, was also born to Pele and Assiria on September 28, 1996. Even though she chooses to live much of her life out of the spotlight, she occasionally make cameos on the social media accounts of her half-siblings.
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Sujeeth Shetty
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