Pele’s secret love child revealed as the football legend’s will gives part of his estate to the woman if a DNA test proves a match

• Maria do Socorro Azevedo claims Pele had a fling with her mother in the 1980s
• Pele’s will has made provision for Azevedo if a DNA test proves a genetic match 

A woman who claims to be the secret love child of soccer legend Pele is trying to secure a slice of the late footballer’s estate. 

The player, who died from colon cancer aged 82 on December 29, officially had seven children. 

Now, Maria do Socorro Azevedo claims her mother had a fling with the World Cup winner in the 1980s. She will have a DNA test to determine whether Pele is a genetic match. 

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.’ 

Brazilian football legend, Pele, pictured in 2017, has made an accommodation in his will to provide for a woman claiming to be his love child if a DNA test proves that she is an heir

The soccer legend died in December following a month in hospital. He had been suffering from colon cancer

Pele’s step daughter Gemima Lemos McMahon is also applying to the Brazilian courts to be named Pele’s heir. Her mother, Assiria was Pele’s second wife. 

His estate is believed to be valued at between £12million and as high as £75 million. 

The three-time World Cup winner had been in hospital in Sao Paulo since late November before his death on December 29. .

Pele burst on to the global scene as a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup, helping Brazil to the first of their record five successes in the competition.

Injury affected his contribution to the finals in 1962, when Brazil retained their title, and 1966, but he 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.

He has endured a number of health issues in recent years, and in September 2021 underwent surgery to remove a tumour from his colon.

This year, he was admitted to the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo on November 29 with a respiratory infection and remained there until his death.

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.

There was so much more to his game though, and his outrageous talent and willingness to try – and often pull off – the seemingly impossible have prompted many observers to describe him as the greatest player of all time.

Others can also justifiably stake a claim for that title – not least Diego Maradona and his fellow Argentinian Lionel Messi – but it is inconceivable not to mention Pele in any shortlist.

Pele scored 1,281 goals during his professional football career which ended in 1977

His death in December 2022 led to massive public outpourings of grief across the football world, including in his home Sao Paulo

He was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. His father, Dondinho, was a professional footballer.

He first had trials at Santos in June 1956 and his scoring exploits for the club in the Sao Paulo state championship propelled him into the Brazil squad for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Alongside other stars like Garrincha, Mario Zagallo and Didi, Brazil laid to rest the disappointment of losing the 1950 World Cup final on home soil to Uruguay, and became the first team to win the tournament outside their home continent.

He quickly became a superstar in his home country of what was at the time a forward-looking nation, and became hugely marketable.

Injury curtailed his involvement in the 1962 World Cup as Brazil retained the trophy in Chile, and the player was criticised for not speaking out against the military coup in Brazil two years later.

Brazil lost their grip on the World Cup in England in 1966. Pele was exposed to some brutal treatment from defenders, in particular those of Portugal, as the South Americans failed to get out of their group.

Incredibly there was debate in Brazil leading into the 1970 finals about whether Pele, still only 29, should even be in the squad. He answered his critics in spectacular style as Brazil regained the trophy in Mexico.

He headed Brazil in front in the final against Italy and his languid pass into the path of Carlos Alberto completed a sublime team move for the final goal in a 4-1 win.

He never played for a European club but spent time in the United States with New York Cosmos before his retirement in 1977.

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