Santos, the club where Pele played most of his career, said its fans were sorry for the death of the mother of their eternal king. The statement read: “Santos Futebol Clube is deeply sorry about the death of Celeste Arantes do Nascimento, the mother of our eternal king. She had 101 years of an inspiring life story. A black woman who faced endless adversities in life for the good of her family.”
- Pele and mother
Celeste Arantes, the mother of Brazilian football legend Pele, has died aged 101, outliving her famous son by 18 months, the family announced Friday.
Arantes was 17 when she gave birth to her first child on October 23, 1940, a baby who would grow up to be the man widely considered 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.
No details were given on the cause of death. According to local media Arantes had been hospitalized for eight days and died on Friday.
At the time of her son’s death, family members said Arantes had cognitive difficulties and was unaware her world-famous son had died.
Arantes, who married Pele’s father, Joao Ramos do Nascimento, at the age of 16, also had another son, Jair, who died in 2020 of cancer, the same illness that claimed Pele’s life.
A stay-at-home mother, she dedicated 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 admitted to hospital in Sao Paulo, where he died of cancer. His funeral procession included an emotional stop at his mother’s house.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele was the only player in history to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970).
Arantes spent the past five years in a vegetative state and was not informed about her famous son’s death in 2022. She was hospitalized for the past eight days, the Brazilian Football Confederation said in a statement.
The Pelé Foundation said on its social media channels that the mother of the only three-time World Cup-winning player was a role model.
“Today’s feelings are mixed. We deeply mourn the departure of ‘Celestinha,’ as her son affectionately called her. At the same time, we are eternally grateful for her existence,” the foundation said. “Dona Celeste is the queen mother and will forever be lovingly remembered in our hearts and memories.”
Santos, the club where Pelé played most of his career, said its fans were sorry for the death of the mother of their eternal king.
- Pele, the King and the Queen mother, Celeste
The Clube statement read: “Santos Futebol Clube is deeply sorry about the death of Celeste Arantes do Nascimento, the mother of our eternal king.
“She had 101 years of an inspiring life story. A black woman who faced endless adversities in life for the good of her family.”
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally known as Pelé, was one of Celeste Arantes’ three children. She was initially against her son becoming a professional footballer, but gradually changed her views as her son became more successful.
The Brazilian icon died on December 29, 2022, aged 82, following a lengthy battle with cancer. He had suffered kidney and prostate problems beforehand and had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon in 2021.
- Associated Press
