One of the greatest footballers ever who was married three times admitted in a Netflix documentary that he had multiple affairs and only discovered some of his children years later

A football god forever immortalised for his extraordinary exploits on the pitch couldn't keep scoring off it. And even though he was married three times, his multiple affairs meant he only discovered he'd fathered some of his children years after the cheating.

Pelé lifted the World Cup a record three times with Brazil, cementing his status as one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. With an official competitive goal tally in excess of 757 goals, he claimed to have reached more than 1,000 strikes in total when club friendlies, regional tournaments and international exhibition matches were included.

The legendary Seleção striker, real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, died in December 2022, aged 82, surrounded by his children, amongst them football coach son Edinho. Pelé, who would have turned 86 on Friday, October 23, left behind an astonishing legacy, including a truly chaotic love life.

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Just a year before his death, he spoke candidly in a 2021 Netflix documentary about his life and career, when he confessed to having affairs while married, admitting that some of those encounters resulted in the birth of children.

When questioned about whether remaining faithful had proved difficult, Pelé responded: "In all honesty it was. I've had a few affairs, some of which resulted in children. But I only learned about them later."

The man who held aloft the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970 went on to say: "My first wife, my first girlfriend, knew all about it. I never lied to anyone."

The Santos legend had seven recognised children, including Edinho, with Kely Nascimento having documented his final hospital stay via Instagram.

Pelé wed three times throughout his life, firstly in 1996 to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi, with whom he had daughters Kely and Jennifer, as well as son Edinho. The couple divorced in 1982.

He subsequently wed gospel singer Assiria Lemos Seixas, who gave birth to twins Joshua and Celeste in 1996. Pele also fathered the late Sandra Machado, confirmed through a court-ordered DNA test, as well as another child Flavia, with journalist Lenita Kurtz.

In 2006, Pele tied the knot for the final time with Marcia Aoki, a Japanese-Brazilian businesswoman and importer of medical equipment, whom he had first encountered in the 1980s.

The footballing icon was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital in late November 2022, with doctors revealing his condition had worsened by mid-December.

He had been battling a respiratory infection alongside his cancer treatment at the Sao Paulo hospital, ultimately passing away from multiple organ failure as a complication of colon cancer.

An official family statement read: "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today.

"On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.

"His message today becomes a legacy for future generations. Love, love and love, forever."

Pelé was laid to rest at the Ecumenical Memorial Cemetery in Santos, Brazil - a 14-story mausoleum that holds the Guinness world record for the tallest cemetery on the planet.

His lavish resting place features a gold coffin, fake grass, and some of his greatest goals represented on the walls. Two statues of the great man stand at the entrance, one with a Santos flag and the other with a Brazilian flag, which lead fans into the room.

Inside, on some artificial turf sits Pelé's gold coffin - which has his name, the date of his birth and the date of his death.

Pelé’s son Edinho was one of the first to visit the tomb, and admitted to reporters he was struggling with the loss of his father, adding: "But we’re also very proud and happy at all the affection and reverence that’s kept pouring in!"

The cemetery also features an auto-museum - where fans can see the Mercedes Benz S-280 the company gave Pelé in 1974 to commemorate his 1,000th goal.