Pelé Was Married 3 Times Before His Death—Inside His Complicated Relationships
Pelé is regarded as one of, if not the best, soccer players in the world. Many football fans will be curious about the life of Pele after his death. who is Pelé’s wife. His personal life was complicated, and he was married three more times before he died at the age of 82.
Born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Pelé was propelled into stardom while playing for the Brazilian national team and Santos. He went on to win three FIFA World Cups: 1962, 1960 and 1970. His popularity soared and he scored 643 goals for his club, a record that was broken by Lionel Messi in 2020. A legend in the game and dubbed “O Rio or “The King,” he even helped stop a ceasefire in the Nigerian Civil War so that both sides could see him play.
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His daughter The Brazillian Embassy confirmed this striker’s passing in an Instagram post, “All that we are is thanks to you,” she wrote. “We love you forever. Rest in peace.” In 2021, Pelé was going under treatment for colon cancer and assured his fans not to worry about his health. “Dear friends, it’s been a while since we talked about this. I want to let you know that I’m fine,” he wrote on Instagram In November 2021. Every day I feel better. I don’t think even the mask for my protection can hide my happiness. Thank you very much to all of you who send me good energy daily.”
He was also a controversial figure in his marriages, having had multiple affairs during his marriage. He got married three times. The first was in the late 60s with Rosemeri dos Cholbi. Here’s a list of Pelé’s wives and his relationships with them.
Marcia Aoki (2016 – 2022)
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Pelé’s third wife was Japanese-Brazilian entrepreneur Marcia Aoki. Not much is known about their relationship but it’s reported that she works in medical supplies distribution. The couple met at a New York City event in 1980s. They were reunited in 2008 and began a relationship. Aoki, 32 years older than Brazilian soccer star, is married to Aoki. Pelé and Aoki married in 2016 in a small ceremony. The couple was married for a short time and had no children.
Assíria Lemos Seixas (1992 – 2008)
Pelé married his second wife gospel singer and psychologist Assíria Lemos Seixas in 1992. They had twins Joshua and Celeste in 1996. The couple ended their marriage in 2008, although not much information is available about the relationship.
Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi (1966 – 1982)
Pelé’s first wife was Rosemeri do Reis Cholbi, who he married in 1966. They had three kids together: Kelly Cristina (born January 13, 1967), Jennifer (born 1978) and their son Edson (“Edinho”, born August 27, 1970).
In his Netflix documentary PeléThe soccer player shared his infidelities with the world. “My first wife, my first girlfriend knew all about it. I never lied to anyone.” He claimed that he was “too young” for his marriage. Pelé had numerous affairs, enough to the point where he didn’t know how many children he fathered. “In all honesty, I’ve had so many relationships, and some were born also about the children, but I only found out about it later.”
He expressed concern about his affairs and said that it was hard to be his wife. However, he explained that commercial deals enabled him to travel and work on projects abroad. He shared a documentary that showed his first marriage, in which he said that his partners all knew about his affairs. “We had that friendship,” Pelé said. “That passion you feel when you’re madly in love – we didn’t have any of that.”
He welcomed his second daughter Flávia, with journalist Lenita Kurtz, in 1968 while he was still married to Rosemeri. Before they married, Pelé had an affair with his housemaid, Anisia Machado, in 1963. Sandra Regina Machado was the result of Anisia’s pregnancy. For many years, Sandra took her father to court to prove paternity tests, but Pelé denied that he was the father and refused to submit to a DNA test. Sandra wrote a book. The Daughter the King Didn’t WantHe died from cancer in 2006 Pelé didn’t go to her funeral.
He had his faults but he spoke out about them in an interview. British GQ. “Most of the children today watch [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, Neymar, but they also know the name of Pelé,” he said. “Maybe from their fathers, or from their fathers’ fathers! It is a huge responsibility because I cannot make mistakes in my life. I always have to be an example to these children, but I thank God for this honor.”
He continued to reflect on his career highlight: “I don’t have one favorite moment… there are too many. But there are a few memories that are special for me,” he said at the time. “For example, 1958 was my very first World Cup and I was 17 years old. It was my first trip by plane. In Sweden, everything was brand new. It was like a dream. Then all my dreams became reality when my Brazil won the World Cup. It was amazing to feel like I had done everything when I was young. But, of course, there was much more to come.”
Buy: ‘Why Soccer Matters’ by Pele $15.99
For more about Pelé, read his 2015 memoir, Why Soccer Matters: A Look at More Than Sixty Years of International Soccer. The book takes readers through Pelé’s 20-year international football career, from his three World Cup championship wins to his record-breaking 1,283 goals. The autobiography also dives into Pelé’s decision to retire from football in 1977, his work as international football’s global ambassador and how he’s inspired future generations of professional football players like Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. “I know in my heart that soccer was good to me, and great to the world….I saw, time and again, how the sport improved countless millions of lives, both on and off the field. For me, at least, that’s why soccer matters,” Pelé writes in Why soccer matters.
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