BRASILIA Pele, widely acclaimed as the world's greatest soccer player ever and hailed by some as the athlete of the century, won a new title on Friday granddad. Pele's first grandchild, a boy, was born in the Brazilian city of Santos, news reports said. It was not immediately known if the soccer legend would be rushing to see the baby. The mother of the child, Sandra Regina Arantes do Nascimento, won a five-year legal battle in 1996 to prove she was the biological daughter of Pele, whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Pele, now 57, previously denied he was Sandra's father but a court ruled that DNA evidence showed otherwise.

Earlier this year, Sandra published a book, The Daughter the King Did Not Want recounting the story of how her mother, a maid, had a love affair with pele while he was a young player with local soccer club Santos. (Reuter)