Pele: Brazil Icon Celebrated Mother’s 100th Birthday Before His Demise

• Pele largely credited his mother for the role she played in his upbringing and football success
• Celeste Arantes recently turned 100 and Pele penned her a heartwarming birthday message
• The Brazilian legend passed on at the age of 82 years after a lengthy battle with colon cancer

The longevity of the Pele family is probably something that should be studied for future generations.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pele, succumbed to colon cancer on December 29 aged 82 years.

His biological mother is among the close family members who will have to come to terms with the demise of the football icon.

Pele's birth mother, Celeste Arantes recently turned 100 years old and still lives in Santos.

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The former Santos star had huge respect and admiration for his mother, who he credited with greatly impacting his career.

He penned downed a heartwarming message to her on November 20 when she clocked a century.

"Today, we celebrate 100 years of Dona Celeste's life. From a young age, she taught me the value of love and peace. I have well over a hundred reasons to be thankful for being her son. I share these photos with you, with great emotion to celebrate this day. Thank you for every day by your side, Mom."

As Marca reports, Celeste was recently named the Brazilian 'Mother of the Year' for giving birth to the best footballer the South American nation has ever seen.

Pele celebrated by his daughter

Sports Brief also reported that Kely Nascimento has paid heartwarming tribute to Pele after his death. His real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento but is more known by his nickname.

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Touted by many as the greatest footballer to have ever graced the sport, Pele passed on aged 82 after a long battle with cancer. His condition failed to improve after he was readmitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo.

Pele's daughter, who was providing regular updates on her father in the weeks after his health began to deteriorate, confirmed his passing on December 29 and later paid him a touching tribute.