Woman demands Pele’s body be exhumed to enable her to conduct paternity test

A woman named Maria do Socorro Azevedo is reportedly claiming to be the eighth child of the legendary footballer Pele, according to local media. She is requesting the exhumation of Pele’s body for a DNA test.

Azevedo asserts that, if proven, she is entitled to a share of 60% of Pele’s assets designated for his children, as reported by Sky News. Following the death of legendary footballer Pele – whose name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento –  in December 2022, reports suggested that he may have acknowledged the possibility of having an eighth child, a daughter he never met, in his will.

Although a DNA test conducted by his children yielded a negative result, a second test is reportedly underway. Azevedo asserts she is Pele’s eighth child and seeks a share of his assets.

Pele had allegedly agreed to undergo a paternity test, but he passed away before it could be conducted. In response, Azevedo’s lawyer has requested the exhumation of Pele’s body to facilitate the test. However, the lawyer representing Pele’s widow has deemed the request as “unreasonable” and “unlikely” to be approved.

In her first public statement, Azevedo revealed to Record TV that her mother never informed Pele about her pregnancy. Azevedo had initially sought paternity tests in 2019, but due to Pele’s health and the COVID-19 pandemic, the test was not conducted at that time.

Edinho, who is overseeing Pele’s inheritance and is one of Pele’s seven children, stated that tests have already been conducted, confirming that Azevedo is not their sister.