Woman Wants Pele’s Body Dug Up For Paternity Test

A woman claims to be Pele’s hidden daughter and is requesting that his body be exhumed.

Maria do Socorro Azevedo, 60, filed a paternity suit five years ago and is now instructing a lawyer to proceed.

Pele died on December 29, 2022, at the age of 82, following the removal of a cancer from his colon.

He recognised the potential of having another child in his will. He married three times and has seven children, one of whom is a stepdaughter. Two of his children, Edinho Nascimento and Flavia Christina, agreed to DNA tests following the reading of their father’s will.

According to sources in Brazil, Maria do Socorro Azevedo’s lawyer, Marcos Fernando dos Santos Sousa, stated that while the initial tests were negative, his client’s DNA test revealed “high possibilities” of a blood link.

Mr. dos Santos Sousa stated that they now had “no option” but to request the exhumation of Pele’s body in order to “resolve the situation.”

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The footballer is alleged to have agreed to a DNA test but died before it could be conducted.

Maria do Socorro Azevedo spoke openly about her claims to be Pele’s daughter on a Brazilian TV show on Sunday, Jan. 21, insisting she was not interested in his money. She claimed her late mother never informed the former Brazil and Santos forward that she was pregnant with their child following a fling in Sao Luis, Maranhao.

Maria, who is from the state of Piaui in northeastern Brazil, claimed she chose to take a DNA test in 2019 while working as a cleaner in Sao Paulo.

Pele donated 30% of his fortune to his widow, third wife Marica Aoki, with the remaining 60% divided amongst his children and 10% to two grandkids. His net worth at the time of his death was estimated to be approximately £ 78 million.

If Maria do Socorro Azevedo is accepted as his eighth child, she will be entitled to a piece of the fortune divided among her siblings.

Augusto Miglioli, a lawyer representing Pele’s family, stated that the family would resist any exhumation demand on the grounds that previous DNA testing had revealed Maria was not the footballer’s daughter.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli