The Brazilian soccer icon (pictured) had previously refused to acknowledge he was the father of Sandra Regina, leaving her heartbroken when she died 17 years ago.
In a moving tribute to the man who made football 'the beautiful game', his family put out a message that summed up his life on his official Twitter handle on Thursday morning local time, announcing his death."Inspiration and love marked .
BREAKING NEWS: The legendary figure was admitted to hospital in Sao Paulo on November 30 with swelling all over his body and later passed away. He was 82.
Pele was regarded by his contemporaries as the very best but esteem for the Brazilian extended well beyond the stadium and into the realms of sport, politics and popular culture.