Pele’s 100-year-old mother unaware of his death, says sister

Maria Lucia do Nascimento, sister of Pele, says the 100-year-old mother of the Brazilian football legend is unaware of her son’s death.

According to Mirror UK, Maria Lucia, 78-year-old and Pele’s only surviving sibling, spoke in an interview in Brazil.

Pele, fondly nicknamed the “king of football”, passed away on Thursday after battling colon cancer.

Since then, tributes have been pouring in for him from within and outside the football community.

Despite the worldwide mourning of the Brazilian, Maria Lucia said their mother still “doesn’t know the situation”.

She added that the centenarian is “in her own world” with little awareness about the news.

“We talk but she doesn’t know the situation. She’s in her own world,” Pele’s sister said.

“She opens her eyes when I mention his name and says, ‘we’re going to pray for him’, but she’s not conscious of what I’m saying.”

Celeste Arantes gave birth to Pele in 1940 in Tres Coracoes, a city in south-eastern Brazil.

He was the oldest of three children, which included Zoca — he died in 2020 — and Maria Lucia.

Celeste was initially hostile to Pele’s resolve to pursue a football career following his father’s lack of success in the sport.

She would scold him for sneaking out to play football, but later, she gave her blessing after persuasion.