Pele's mother dies at the age of 101, having spent last five years in vegetative state

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.