Celeste Arantes, who was the mother of Pele, died at the age of 101 on Friday. She had spent the last five years in a vegetative state and was not told about her son’s death back in 2022.

Pele’s former club Santos released a statement, which 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 Brazilian icon died in December 2022, aged 82, following a lengthy battle with cancer. He had suffered kidney and prostate problems beforehand and had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon in 2021.

Pele was one of her three children and she was originally against her son becoming a professional footballer. However, these views gradually changed as he became more successful in the sport.