Julius OkorieSantos, the club where Pele played most of his career, have penned an emotional tribute following the passing of his mother, Celeste Arantes do Nascimento, at the age of 101.
The club, in a statement, eulogised the contribution of Celeste Arantes, popularly known in the club as the ‘Queen Mother.’
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe statement read: “Santos Futebol Clube is deeply sorry about the death of Celeste Arantes do Nascimento, the mother of our eternal king. She had 101 years of an inspiring life story. A black woman who faced endless adversities in life for the good of her family.”
The Queen mother outlived her famous son, ‘King Pele’, who died December 29, 2022 by 18 months.
Late Celeste Arantes was 17 when she gave birth to her first child on October 23, 1940, a baby who would grow up to be the man widely considered the greatest footballer of all time.
“Rest in peace, grandma,” Pele’s eldest son, Edinho, wrote on Instagram, a message illustrated with a photo of him hugging his grandmother.
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No details were given on the cause of her death. According to local media, Arantes had been hospitalised for eight days and died on Friday.
At the time of her son’s death, family members said Arantes had cognitive difficulties and was unaware her world-famous son had died.
Arantes, who married Pele’s father, Joao Ramos do Nascimento, at the age of 16, also had another son, Jair, who died in 2020 of cancer, the same illness that claimed Pele’s life.
A stay-at-home mother, she dedicated her life to caring for her children.
“From a young age, she taught me the value of love and peace,” Pele wrote on Instagram on her 100th birthday, along with three pictures of them together at different stages in life.
Nine days later, Pele was admitted to hospital in Sao Paulo, where he died of cancer. His funeral procession included an emotional stop at his mother’s house.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele was the only player in history to win three World Cups, (1958, 1962 and 1970).
Arantes spent the past five years in a vegetative state and was not informed about her famous son’s death in 2022. She was hospitalised for the past eight days, the Brazilian Football Confederation said in a statement.
The Pelé Foundation said on its social media channels that the mother of the only three-time World Cup-winning player was a role model.
“Today’s feelings are mixed. We deeply mourn the departure of ‘Celestinha,’ as her son affectionately called her. At the same time, we are eternally grateful for her existence,” the foundation said. “Dona Celeste is the queen mother and will forever be lovingly remembered in our hearts and memories.”
Pele played 583 matches, scoring 569 goals for Santos between 1956 and 1974.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
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