The mother of Brazilian football legend Pele, Celeste Arantes, died at the age of 101, outliving her famous son by 18 months, the family confirmed on Friday.
Arantes was 17 years old when she gave birth to her first child, a boy who would grow up to be widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time.
“Rest in peace, grandma,” Pele’s eldest son Edinho wrote on Instagram, a message illustrated with a photo of him hugging his grandmother.
There were no specifics about the cause of death. According to local media, Arantes died on Friday after being hospitalised for eight days.
Arantes had cognitive issues and was ignorant that her world-famous son had died, according to family members. Arantes, who married Pele’s father, Joao Ramos do Nascimento, at the age of 16, had another son, Jair, who died in 2020 from cancer, the same disease that killed Pele.
As a stay-at-home mother, she committed her life to caring for her children.
“From a young age, she taught me the value of love and peace,” Pele wrote on Instagram on her 100th birthday, along with three pictures of them together at different stages in life.
Nine days later, Pele was brought to a hospital in Sao Paulo and died of cancer.
His burial procession included an emotional visit to his mother’s residence. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is the only player in history to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970).
