Famous Brazilian football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his nickname Pelé, has left a portion of his fortune to his secret daughter, Sandra Regina, who he had long denied was his child.
While he had never accepted she was his, Regina was named in his will alongside his six other children, according to a report from the Daily Mirror.
The Brazilian soccer hero had previously refused to acknowledge he was the father of Regina, leaving her heartbroken when she died 17 years ago.
The 82-year-old requested to meet with Regina’s two sons, Gabriel Arantes do Nascimento and Octavio Felinto Neto, speaking to them physically for the first time on 28 December 2022, just a day before he died.
Speaking on the visit, Gabriel said, ”I spoke to my aunts, and they said that our grandfather wanted to see us. We were very excited because it was an opportunity we had been longing for. Every family has fights and rows, ours is no different, but there are moments when love and union are more important than anything else. We are extremely happy.”
The publication revealed that her share would go to her sons after they fulfilled a request from their dying grandfather.
Sandra, who died of cancer in 2006, was born after Pele had an affair with his cleaner, Anisia Machado, who fought for years to get Pele to admit he was the father but he refused to do so, even after a DNA test proved he was.
After a five-year legal battle, Sandra was given the right to use Pele’s surname, Nascimento, in 1996.