Football is unmatched when it comes to fame and fortune, and the money to be made is staggering. However, what happens when the final whistle blows?. Who stands to benefit from the wealth amassed? The answer is often more complex than it seems. For some footballing legends, the drama off the pitch rivals anything they achieved on it. Their lives reflect a spectrum of experiences, from devotion to chaotic disputes over their fortunes. Diego Maradona's numerous relationships, for example, left a litany of children vying for their share.
Dividing his estate was always bound to be a nightmare. In contrast, the principled and steadfast Bobby Charlton left behind a legacy as clear-cut as the man himself. Mirror Football looks at the stories behind the wills and legacies of some footballing icons we’ve sadly lost in years gone by. Diego Maradona’s death in 2020 left behind a tangled web of financial chaos. The Argentine icon, famous for his genius on the pitch and tumultuous life off it, left no will, setting the stage for a legal free-for-all among his heirs – at least eight children from six women, with additional paternity claims still pending.
Maradona’s estate is a mix of contradictions. Estimates of his net worth at the time of his death range from a modest £400,000 – drained by unpaid taxes and lavish spending – to an inheritance worth £60-80million, including properties, luxury cars, and even an amphibious vehicle gifted to him in Belarus. His assets reportedly included five properties in Argentina, a diamond ring valued at £285k, and lucrative image rights. Yet his financial legacy is as fraught as his personal life. In 2005, the Italian government claimed he owed £31m in unpaid taxes from his Napoli days – a debt largely unresolved.
Known for his generosity and extravagant habits, Maradona himself once declared he intended to donate his fortune rather than leave it to his children, though Argentine law would have prevented him from doing so entirely. His death triggered a cascade of legal claims. Two Argentinians pursued DNA tests to confirm their paternity, while the eight acknowledged children vied for shares. As one Argentine lawyer quipped, the inheritance saga is set to be as chaotic as the man himself – proof, perhaps, that even "The Hand of God" can’t avoid earthly entanglements.
Even in death, Pelé’s legacy is as complex as his life, which saw him win three World Cups, score 1,279 goals, and navigate two marriages and two high-profile affairs. The Brazilian football legend, who passed away in December 2022, left behind a reported fortune of £12m. His will allocated 30% to his widow, 60% to his seven recognised children, and 10% to two grandchildren. However, a claim from Maria do Socorro Azevedo alleged she is Pelé’s eighth child, who he never met, significantly complicating the inheritance process. Maria, 60, has requested Pelé’s body be exhumed for a DNA test to prove her paternity.
This comes despite previous tests returning negative results and strong opposition from the lawyer representing Pelé’s widow, who called the request “unreasonable.”. According to Maria, her mother never informed Pelé of her pregnancy, and her attempts to confirm her claim began in 2019 but were delayed by his declining health and the pandemic. Pelé himself reportedly acknowledged the possibility of an eighth child in his will but passed away before paternity could be conclusively determined. Edinho, one of his children and the executor of his estate, insists that previous tests proved Maria’s claim false.
If this wasn’t complicated enough, Pelé’s will included Sandra Regina, a daughter he denied throughout her life despite DNA tests and a 1991 court ruling confirming their relationship. Sandra, who passed away 17 years ago, never saw her father acknowledge her, but her share of the estate passed to her two sons, whom Pelé met for the first time on his deathbed. Sir Bobby Charlton passed away in October 2023 at the age of 86, leaving behind £631k in his will. The Manchester United legend designated the entirety of his estate to his wife, Lady Norma Charlton, 84. Charlton’s daughters, Suzanne and Andrea, were named trustees alongside solicitor Andrew Kay.
Born in the mining town of Ashington, Charlton rose from humble beginnings to become one of football's greatest figures. Signing with United at just 15, he went on to play 758 matches and score 249 goals over a glittering 17-year career. He survived the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, which claimed the lives of eight team-mates, returning to the pitch just weeks later and in 1968, he captained United to a poignant European Cup victory.
Two years earlier, his goals drove England to their 1966 World Cup triumph in the same year he earned the Ballon d’Or. Charlton retired in 1973 and later became a global ambassador for the sport, earning a knighthood in 1993. His death was ruled accidental, linked to lung trauma and a fall, and he battled dementia in his final years – a condition that also affected his brother Jack, who passed in 2020. Sir Bobby’s passing leaves Sir Geoff Hurst as the only living member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team.
