Football

Sandra Regina, Pele’s illegitimate daughter who he never acknowledged

by
Teresa Mwangi
March 3, 2023

Pele and his daughter Sandra Regina. Photo/Daily mail

Pele sired a daughter with his housekeeper Anisio Machado in the 1960
The girl was named Sandra Regina
But, he refused to acknowledge her until his death

Sandra Regina, the daughter of the late veteran Brazilian footballer Pele is a testament that blood is thicker than water.

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, he succumbed to a long battle with cancer aged 83 on December 2022. The world knows him as one of the greatest football players of all time. From the age of 15, he never stopped playing football until years later when he retired.

His fame due to his impressive skills and goal-scoring ability charmed many people as some women found him irresistible. Eventually, he sired a child outside of marriage and this was the beginning of a tall tale decades later.

PELE ON FATHERING SANDRA REGINA

Pele had an affair with Anisio Machado, Regina’s mother who provided housekeeping services for the legendary footballer. It led to the birth of Regina in 1964 but Pele never acknowledged her. They took a DNA following a court order and it turned out positive but the late Brazilian footballer still denied her.

Even in his death, he still did not acknowledge Regina.

WAS SANDRA REGINA INCLUDED IN PELE’S WILL?

Pele’s daughter. Photo/Aventuras na Historia

Surprisingly, Pele included his daughter in his will together with his seven other children. The 60-year-old Regina said that her share of Pele’s estate will go to his two sons who saw Pele for the first and last time in his hospital bed.

Pele’s last wish was to see his two grandsons Gabriel Arantes do Nascimento and Octavio Felinto Neto after many years. He finally met them on December 2022 and they had a great moment together before he passed on.

Gabriel said that it was such a great moment for the family especially because his mother always looked forward to such a moment in life. It was exciting meeting the rest of Pele’s children who are technically Gabriel’s aunts and uncles but the highlight was seeing his grandfather.

He said that although his grandfather did not acknowledge his mother as his child for the longest time, it wasn’t a new issue in society. He maintained that every family has its challenges.

“We were very excited, it was an opportunity we had been waiting for. Every family has fights and rows, ours is no different, but there are moments when union and love are more important than anything else. We are extremely happy,” the Mirror reports.

WAS PELE MARRIED?

Pelé has a history of adultery and has been married three times. According to ESPN, his relationship with a housemaid resulted in the birth of his oldest daughter, Sandra Regina Arantes, in 1964. Arantes then accuses him in court. The Daughter the King Did Not Want, a book written by his illegitimate daughter also detailed her mother’s liaison.

Courts ruled in Arantes’ favour in 1991, allowing her to use Pelé’s last name. He never referred to her as his daughter, though. The Peoples Daily Online reports that Arantes passed away from breast cancer in 2006. Pelé skipped her memorial service.

He always knew that Arantes was unwell but never bothered to reach out to her even once. She died having never spoken to the footballer and her wish was for them to reunite at one point. Her wish was for them to meet their grandfather and it eventually happened.

Brazilian football legend Pele. Photo Kiro7

PELE CAREER

Pelé’s greatest moments in football came during his time with the Brazilian national team and his club team, Santos FC. He won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970, and is the only player to have achieved this feat. Pelé’s performances in these tournaments are considered some of the greatest in the history of the World Cup.

One of Pelé’s most memorable moments came in the 1958 World Cup, when he was just 17 years old. He helped lead Brazil to victory in the tournament, scoring two goals in the final match against Sweden. Pelé’s pace and dribbling ability were on full display in this match, as he danced around the Swedish defenders and scored two of Brazil’s five goals in a 5-2 victory.

In the 1962 World Cup, Pelé once again played a crucial role in Brazil’s success. He scored a hat-trick in the opening match against Mexico, and continued to score goals throughout the tournament. Pelé’s performances in this World Cup are often remembered for his impressive goalscoring ability, as he finished the tournament with a total of six goals.

Teresa Mwangi

Teresa is a journalist with years of experience in creating web content. She is a wanderlust at heart, but an outgoing sports writer with focus on tennis, athletics, football, motorsports and NBA.

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Football

Sandra Regina, Pele’s illegitimate daughter who he never acknowledged

PELE ON FATHERING SANDRA REGINA

WAS SANDRA REGINA INCLUDED IN PELE’S WILL?

WAS PELE MARRIED?

PELE CAREER

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Latest Sports News Africa | Latest Sports Results

Football

Sandra Regina, Pele’s illegitimate daughter who he never acknowledged

PELE ON FATHERING SANDRA REGINA

WAS SANDRA REGINA INCLUDED IN PELE’S WILL?

WAS PELE MARRIED?

PELE CAREER

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Leave a Reply

More in Football

Barcelona thrash Rayo Vallecano, seal runners-up in La Liga

Premier League: What we learned from gameweek 38

Premier League: Players who impressed on the final day

Jurgen Klopp bids farewell to Liverpool fans at Anfield

Football

Tennis

Football

Athletics

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