Although Ms Machado provided a DNA test to prove Pele was her daughter’s father, the football legend refused to identify her.
After a legal battle and five years of back and forth, Sandra was granted the right to use Peele’s surname, Nascimento, in 1996.
Sandra, however, died of cancer in 2006, leaving behind two children, Octavio Felinto Neto and Gabriel Arantes do Nascimento.
According to a Daily Mail report, Peele acknowledged his secret daughter in his will and bequeathed her a share of his multi-million-pound estate when he met her a day before his death.
Gabriel, one of Sandra’s sons, was quoted as saying: “I talked to my aunt, and she said that our grandfather wants to see us.
“We were very excited, this was the 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 very happy.”
Pele sadly passed away last Thursday, December 29, 2022, after a long battle with colon cancer.
A three-time FIFA World Cup winner, Pele scored over 1000 goals in his career and is considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time.
Meanwhile, the National Sports Authority (NSA) has said it is open to naming a stadium in Ghana in honor of the Brazilian legend.
This was confirmed by NSA Director General Prof. Peter Twumasi, who said the authority is ready to do this.
His announcement followed a request from FIFA president Gianni Infantino that football’s governing body would ask its member associations to name Pelé.
