PELE'S mum does not known the football legend has died, his sister has revealed.
Maria Lucia do Nascimento looks after their mother Celeste, who has just turned 100 and whose home is said to be on the route funeral organisers have planned before the football star is laid to rest in the world's tallest cemetery.
Overnight it emerged Pele's only surviving sibling has yet to tell the matriarch her famous son has lost his fight against colon cancer.
She said in an interview in her homeland: “We talk but she doesn't know the situation. She's in her own world.”
Referring to the three-time World Cup winner by his family childhood nickname of Dico, Maria added: “She opens her eyes when I mention his name and say, 'We're going to pray for him' but she's not really conscious of what I'm saying.”
Pele died aged 82 at Sao Paolo's Albert Einstein Hospital on Thursday from multiple organ failure linked to his long battle against colon cancer.
His mum celebrated her 100th birthday last month, with her son recording the special moment on Instagram.
He wrote alongside a photo of him with his arms around his loved one: “Today we celebrate 100 years of Celeste's life.
"From a young age, she taught me the value of love and peace.
“I have well over a hundred reasons to be thankful for being her son.
“I share these photos with you, with great emotion to celebrate this day. Thank you for every day by your side mum.”
Pele is due to be buried in a 14-storey cemetery in the centre of Santos where he played most of his club football on Tuesday following three days of official mourning.
His body will be taken from the hospital where he died to the Vila Belmiro Stadium in Santos where members of the public will be able to pay their final respects.
It will remain on the centre circle for 24 hours before he is taken through the streets of his home city to stop briefly outside his bed-bound mum's home according to local media.
He will then be taken to his final resting place at the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica, which received the Guinness World Records title for the tallest cemetery in the world.
Caoeiklmuy
262
if not for this man, Brazil would have been OVERRATED
Leolion111
204
May we not die before our parents no matter how old we are and may sickness not take our health from us amen 🙏🙏
Essybarca01
201
cliffwit
88
When I read the comments on this article then I wonder what's wrong with human minds. It's not illegal to give life.... whether the mother is ten yrs old or hundred yrs old... what's wrong though is for the male person to have sexual act with a ten years old female or a hundred yrs old female who by that time is past her normal hundred percent thinking capacity.. meaning she can't think clearly or normal.. her mental state is like a child. What is wrong with Pele's Mom giving birth to him at the age of 18??? Most females start to give birth around that age normally.
solomontochi2
46
Aging is such a special thing. What a special woman, given birth to a such GOAT at 18.
Valzy109
11
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Must you deluded fans bring Messi comparison into everything?? Even when you’re giving us a wrong stats?? Y’all are kids though… we talking about pele, and you talking about messi, what’s the link?? Grow up man!!
Russey
10
if not for this man, Brazil would have been OVERRATED
Take any star out of any team and that team would be average. Thats the whole reason they are star players. But to say brazil would be overated, you are foolish. Brazil had the most star players in one team of any generation. Poverty is the only thing that kept those players from being the best around the world back then.
JayCris1
8
messi didn't win the golden boot sir
He did say WC golden boot sir….. But rather He said Golden Boot..
Kevin201
8
Pele was 82 when he died and his mother is 100. So he was given birth when his mother was 18? Was it even legal back then? Something seems fishy here