(Newswire.net — July 12, 2016) — Retired Brazilian professional soccer player Pele, and successful businesswoman, Marcia Cibele Aoki, have been dating since 2010, and are now married. The legendary soccer player told O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper that he has finally met the love of his life.
The couple met in New York in the late 80s, but only started dating in 2010 when they met again by accident in an elevator in a Sao Paulo apartment block where they both lived.
Marcia Cibele Aoki, 50, of Japanese origin and a successful businesswoman, is an importer of medical equipment from Penápolis. Pele, who is a triple world champion, presented Marcia as his girlfriend at a soccer awards ceremony in Monaco in 2012. The couple were due to marry years ago but he was hospitalized after he suffered a series of health problems.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pele, was 17 when he started playing for Brazil at the 1958 World Cup, and has since won three World Championships in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Pele is considered by many as being the greatest soccer player in history. He scored a total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches, appeared 91 times for Brazil between 1957 and 1971, and played for his soccer club, Brazil’s FC Santos, as well as the New York Cosmos.
Pele is the most successful league goal scorer in the world, with 541 league goals. He was listed in the Guinness World Records for most career goals scored in soccer.
During his playing days, Pele was the best-paid athlete in the world. In his native Brazil, he is hailed as a national hero.
This is his third marriage. A small ceremony was held in the coastal town of Guaruja, on Saturday evening.
His first wife was Rosemeri Cholbi. He was married to her for 12 years. The couple has three children – two daughters, Kelly Cristina (born in 1967), and Jennifer (born in 1978), as well as a son, Edson (“Edinho”, born in 1970).
Pele has two children from his second wife, gospel singer Assiria Nascimento, who he was with for 14 years. Twins, Joshua and Celeste, were born in 1996.
Pele also had at least two more children from former affairs.