Brazilian football legend Pelé passed away on Friday at the age of 82 following a battle with cancer. His daughter Kely Christina Arantes do Nascimento had been constantly sharing updates from the hospital about his condition. Almost the entire family spent Christmas at the hospital with Pelé this year. The former football player who continues to remain popular even among the younger generation has surely left an everlasting mark on the world. He has, however, always credited his family for standing by him in the highs and lows.
Pelé, the three-time world cup-winning champion, was married three times and fathered at least seven children. His huge family celebrated Christmas with him at the hospital and remained by his side till his last breath.
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Wives of Pele
Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi
Pelé married Rosemeri do Reis Cholbi in 1966. While there is not much information about her, she is known to have had the football star's back throughout his career and personal situations. The couple shared three children together. Their first daughter Kely Cristina was born in January 1967, their second daughter Jennifer was born in 1978, and the Cholbi gave birth to their son Edson in 1970.
In Pelé's Netflix documentary released in 2021, he has spoken about the bond he shared with his first wife and opened up about his infidelities. "My first wife knew all about it. I never lied to anyone," he said. Claiming that he was too young to have married the first time, he spoke about his affairs and the children he fathered through them. "We had a friendship where we were honest with each other. I made my share of mistakes but never hid them from my partners."
The couple got divorced in 1982.
Assíria Lemos Seixas
In 1992, Pelé married Assíria Lemos Seixas, a gospel singer and psychologist. Seixas gave birth to two twins, Celeste and Joshua in 1996. While there's not much known about their married life, the couple got divorced in 2008.
Marcia Aoki
Pelé married Marcia Aoki in 2016 at the age of 73. Japanese-Brazilian Aoki was 41 at the time. A successful businesswoman, Aoki works as an importer of medical supplies. While the couple met back in the 1980s, they started dating in 2010 and tied the knot in 2016.
Pelé was already a father to several children when the two met, therefore, the couple decided not to have children. In some recent updates shared by Pelé's daughter on social media, Aoki can be seen beside the former world champion at the hospital.