Marcia Aoki is the last spouse of renowned Brazilian footballer Pele. She was the one beside him when he passed away in December 2022. The beautiful wife has captivated the interest of fans and followers. But how much do we know about her?
Did she get any of the fortune of Pele? Let’s take a look.
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Who was her famous husband?
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in October 1940, Pele was a professional footballer who played as a forward. He is better known by his nickname, Pele. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was among the most successful sports figures of the 20th century. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century.
He was the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho and Celeste Arantes. As the elder of two siblings, his brother Zoca also played football for Santos. Yet, he was not as successful as Pele. Fun fact: He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison, but his parents decided to remove the “I’.
Because of a typo in his birth certificate, many documents show his name as Edison. Originally, he was nicknamed Dico by his family and received the nickname Pele during his school days.
He was given the nickname because of his pronunciation of his favorite player, local Vasco de Gama goalkeeper Bile, which he misspoke. The more he complained about it, the more the nickname stuck. In his autobiography, released in 2006, he stated he had no idea what the name means, nor did his old friends.
He grew up in poverty in Bauru, in the state of Sao Paulo. He earned money as a young kid by working in tea shops as a servant. His father taught him to play, but he could not afford a proper football and usually played with a sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with a string, or with a grapefruit.
In his youth, Pele played for amateur teams. In his mid-teens, he played for an indoor football team called Radium.
He was the one who popularized futsal and said it presented difficult challenges. It was quicker than football on the grass, and players had to think faster.
When he was 15 years old, he began playing for Santos. At 16, he made his debut for the Brazil national team. During his international career, he won three FIFA World Cups, in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He is the only player to win three cups, and the youngest player to win a World Cup.
Many called him O Rei, which translates to The King, following the 1958 tournament. In the golden era for Santos, he led the team to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores, and the 1962 and 1963 Intercontinental Cup.
Throughout his career, he averaged almost a goal per game. Adept at striking the ball with either foot, he was also skilled in anticipating his opponents’ movements on the field. While he was originally a striker, he also developed skills in a playmaking role, providing assists with his vision and passing ability.
His legacy is one of the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century, one of the most lauded players in the history of football, and by many, the best player ever.
When former South African president Nelson Mandela gave him the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, he said, “To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full”.
Even US politician Henry Kissinger said, “Performance at a high level in any sport is to exceed the ordinary human scale. But Pele’s performance transcended that of the ordinary star by as much as the star exceeds ordinary performance”.
Pele’s many relationships
During the course of his life, Pele got married three times and had several affairs. In total, he fathered seven children.
His first marriage was in 1966, to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi. They have two daughters together, Kelly Cristina born in January 1967, and Jennifer born in 1978. They also have a son, Edson, born in August 1970. The couple split in 1982.
From 1981 to 1986, he was in a romantic relationship with TV presenter Xuxa. At the time they started dating, she was only 17 years old. Then, in April 1994, he got married to psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas, who gave birth to the twins Joshua and Celeste in September 1996. He divorced his second wife in 2008.
He has two more children from affairs. One of them is Sandra Machado, born from an affair with a housemaid in 1964, Anizia Machado. For years, he refused to submit to DNA tests and finally did after a court ordered him to do so.
At the age of 73, he got married to Marcia Aoki, a Japanese Brazilian importer of medical equipment. At the time of their marriage, she was 41 years old. The two were dating since 2010 and first meet in the 1980s.
Quick Bio
Marcia Aoki is an extraordinary woman. Her life story is all about love, family, and a thriving career. She earned global attention and admiration by being the last wife of Brazilian footballer Pele.
She is of Japanese origin. She is alive and resides in Brazil, where she works as an entrepreneur. Her husband, Pele, passed away in December 2022. The King of football was 82 at the time.
Born in Penapolis, Sao Paulo, she is the daughter of Paulo Aoki and Isaura Aoki. She grew up in a family of Japanese descent.
She has a close relationship with her brother, Carlos Alberto Aoki. Marcia and Carlos Aoki studied together at a local school in Brazil.
Despite being in her 50s, the celebrity wife managed to maintain a youthful appearance and age gracefully. Following her high school graduation, she joined a prestigious college, earning a Bachelor’s degree.
As of June 2023, she works as an entrepreneur, specializing in the importation and distribution of high-end medical equipment in Sao Paulo and other regions of Brazil.
Marriage to Pele
Originally, Pele and Marcia met at a party in New York City in the 1980s. At the time, the former soccer player and football legend was already in a relationship with TV presenter Xuxa.
They again meet in 2008 and began their relationship in 2010. She is almost 26 years younger than the famous soccer star. In 2016, they tied the knot in a small ceremony.
Despite their enduring love, they did not have any children together. Pele has seven children from his previous marriages and affairs.
When the football legend was in his last days, the celebrity wife was always by his side, alongside his daughter Kely Nascimento.
Is she relative to Steve Aoki?
Because of her Japanese heritage, and of course, surname, many people think she is somehow related to American DJ and music producer Steve Aoki. But there is no such thing.
Her parents are Isaura Aoki and Paulo Aoki, and they have no relationship with the Steve Aoki family. She also has a brother, Carlos Alberto Aoki.
They merely share the same surname.
Is she on social media?
Marcia is quite private when it comes to her personal information. There is little information about her family, early life, educational background, and everything in between.
With that in mind, she is not active on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. Her life remained enigmatic for many years, with little knowledge beyond her marriage to the soccer legend.
Net worth
When Pele passed away in December 2022, he had a net worth of more than $100 million. According to his will, she will inherit 30% of his assets. That includes the house where they lived in Guaruja, other real estate properties, and a stake in the brand Pele.
The remaining 70% will be split among the legend’s seven children. With that in mind, there is no precise information about the net worth of Marcia Aoki.