'She’s in her own world': Football legend Pele's 100-year-old mom Celeste Arantes unaware of son's death
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL: Football legend Pele’s death from cancer-related ailments has left the world reeling in grief, but it would seem that there is one person in the world that is yet to be informed at all- his own mother. Pele’s only surviving sibling Maria has informed that their mother Celeste Arantes, 100, does not know of the situation and remains in the dark about her son’s death.
Celeste is currently being looked after by Maria, who has spoken in an interview stating that while she talks about a lot of things with her mother, she remains "in her own world" and unaware. It has also been reported that Maria’s home is on the route that the funeral organizers have planned to take to lay him to rest- the former sports minister of Brazil will be laid to rest at the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica at Santos, Sao Paulo. It is famously known as the world’s tallest cemetery.
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“We talk but she doesn’t know the situation. She’s in her own world.” Daily Mail reports that she referred to her three-time world champion brother by his childhood nickname, Dico, and then went on to add, “She opens her eyes when I mention his name and say, ‘We’re going to pray for him’ but she’s not really conscious of what I’m saying.”
Celeste had only celebrated her 100th birthday last month, with Pele making sure that the world joined him in his celebrations with a heartfelt post on Instagram to mark the milestone. His caption read, “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.”
Pele died at the age of 82 on Wednesday, December 28, from multiple organ failure which he experienced as a result of his longtime battle with colon cancer. He was transferred into palliative care after he stopped responding to chemotherapy, which he had been receiving since September 2021, back when he went under the knife for bowel cancer treatment. He is remembered as the greatest footballer of all time, with millions of tributes pouring in for his passing from footballers and non-footballers alike.