How Africa News
A lady claiming to be Pele’s secret love kid is attempting to inherit a portion of the late footballer’s estate.
The athlete, who died on December 29 at the age of 82 from colon cancer, had seven children.
Maria do Socorro Azevedo alleges her mother had an affair with the World Cup winner back in the 1980s. She will have a DNA test to see if she and Pele are genetically related.
A source told The Mirror: ‘Pele mentioned in his will the existence of Maria do Socorro Azevedo, who could be his daughter, and officially expressed she must receive part of his assets if the DNA test confirms the paternity.
‘It seems Pele used the will to let his family know about the heir.’
Gemima Lemos McMahon, Pele’s stepdaughter, has also applied to the Brazilian courts to be appointed Pele’s heir. Pele’s second wife, Assiria, was her mother.
His estate is reported to be valued at between £12million and as much as £75 million.
The three-time World Cup winner had been in a Sao Paulo hospital since late November until passing away on December 29.
Pele made his international debut as a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup, assisting Brazil to their first of five World Cup victories.
He also helped Brazil win the World in 1962 and 1966, and returned to lead his country to glory for a third time in Mexico in 1970, as part of what is widely regarded as the greatest line-up of all time.
Pele was a prodigious scorer of goals and is credited with 1,281 of them across the length of his career by the official FIFA website.
