Although Ms Machado provided a DNA test to prove Pele was the father of her daughter, the football legend refused to acknowledge her.
A legal battle ensued and after five years of back and forth, Sandra was granted the right to use Pele’s surname, Nascimento, in 1996.
However, Sandra died of cancer in 2006, leaving behind two children Octavio Felinto Neto and Gabriel Arantes do Nascimento.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, Pele admitted his secret daughter in his will, and will also give part of his multi-million pound property to her, after meeting her a day before his death.
One of Sandra’s sons, Gabriel, was quoted as saying: “I talked to my aunt, and she said that my grandfather wanted to meet.
“We are very excited, this is the opportunity we have been waiting for. Every family has fights and rows, we are no different, but there are times when unity and love are more important than others. We are very happy.”
Pele died last Thursday, December 29, 2022, after a long battle with colon cancer.
A three-time FIFA World Cup winner, Pele scored over 1000 goals in his career and is considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time.
Meanwhile, the National Sports Authority (NSA) has said it is open to naming a stadium in Ghana in honor of the Brazilian legend.
This was confirmed by the Director General of the NSA, Prof Peter Twumasi, who said the Authority was willing to do so.
The announcement followed a request from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who announced that football’s governing body would ask its member associations to name their stadiums after Pele.