Pelé’s Guarujá mansion went from private retreat to inheritance dispute

Pelé’s Guarujá mansion was once a private retreat befitting one of football’s most celebrated figures, with a swimming pool, tennis court, football pitch and space for gatherings near Praia de Pernambuco in São Paulo. The property was closely linked to the footballer’s personal life and even appeared in a Netflix documentary about his career. After Pelé died in December 2022, however, the mansion became caught up in the administration of his estate and inheritance disputes. Reports later described an increasingly neglected property, with overgrown vegetation, a damaged pool, stolen wiring and signs of intrusion. Its future now remains tied to the unresolved estate process.

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Pelé's Guarujá mansion had a pool, tennis court and football pitch

The property stands close to Praia de Pernambuco, one of Guarujá's better-known coastal areas in São Paulo state. Its scale helped distinguish it from an ordinary beach house. The grounds included a swimming pool, tennis court, bar and football pitch, while the house itself contained several rooms and leisure spaces.

Pelé used the address during an earlier period of his life, before he moved to another Guarujá residence with his wife, Márcia Aoki. As his mobility became more restricted in his later years, the larger property was no longer as practical for everyday living. Even so, it retained a connection with his public and private history. The house was also used for filming. A documentary about Pelé made for Netflix included scenes recorded at the property, adding another layer to its association with the footballer's career.

Pelé’s Guarujá home went from private gatherings to visible neglect

For years, the Guarujá property had a very different rhythm. Pelé could use it away from his main professional commitments, with enough space for gatherings and guests. Reports about the house have recalled parties and visits by well-known figures. Its location near the beach, combined with the size of the grounds, made it suited to the sort of private gatherings that were difficult to accommodate elsewhere.

That history is part of what makes the property's later condition so striking in purely physical terms. The football pitch, pool and other recreational areas were built for regular use, yet later reports found parts of the exterior obscured by vegetation and some facilities showing clear signs of neglect.

Pelé's death changed the property's position

Pelé died on 29 December 2022, aged 82. His estate subsequently became the subject of a lengthy inventory process involving several beneficiaries.

According to Times of Malta, his will provided Márcia Aoki with 30% of his assets and included the Guarujá property among the assets designated for her. Other family members were also named in the succession arrangements. The eventual distribution was complicated by the number of heirs and by the recognition of family relationships in the years around the estate process.

The legal process did not mean that the house immediately changed hands in practical terms. The property remained tied to the wider administration of Pelé's estate while the inventory continued.

By 2024, the division of the estate had still not been completed. Reporting at the time said that outstanding financial obligations, including loans and taxes, were among the matters to be dealt with before the estate could be fully distributed.

The decline of Pelé’s Guarujá mansion became visible

Reports from 2024 showed that the property was no longer being maintained as it had been when Pelé lived there.

The electricity supply had been interrupted after parts of the wiring were reportedly stolen. The swimming pool was described as having turned green, vegetation had spread through outdoor areas and parts of the building showed signs of deterioration. Broken windows, rusting gates, cobwebs and damaged fittings were among the details reported from the property. Local residents also reported incidents involving intruders. According to reports, people had used trees around the property to gain access and steal copper wiring.

The problems were not limited to appearance. A property of this size needs continuous attention even when nobody is living there. Once routine maintenance and security were reduced, small defects could become more visible and the empty grounds became easier to enter.

Pelé’s mansion faced a major property tax debt

The mansion's financial position added another complication. A Tribuna reported that the property had accumulated a substantial IPTU debt, a Brazilian municipal property tax.The outstanding balance was reduced to about R$452,000 after payments were made. The precise current figure was not disclosed in later reporting because proceedings concerning the property and Pelé's estate were under judicial confidentiality.

According to A Tribuna reports, the house itself was valued at roughly R$8 million in several reports. That valuation placed the unpaid tax obligations in the context of a substantial property asset, but it did not remove the immediate need for maintenance, security and estate administration.

Reports have also discussed the possibility of the property being sold through judicial proceedings, although its eventual treatment remains connected to the unresolved estate process.

The mansion's condition became part of Pelé's legacy

As reported by Correio 24 Horas , by 2026, reports from Guarujá were again describing the property as deteriorated. More recent coverage put the reported value as high as R$18 million, illustrating that estimates of the property's worth have varied between reports and over time. The descriptions of its condition, however, have been consistent on several points: overgrown vegetation, deterioration around the pool and evidence of repeated security problems.

The contrast with its earlier use is difficult to miss. This was once a place where Pelé could spend time with people close to him, entertain guests and step away from the public side of his career. It later became one of the physical assets caught up in the complicated administration of his estate.

For now, the Guarujá mansion remains part of that unfinished story. Its future depends not simply on the condition of the building, but on how the inheritance proceedings, ownership arrangements, debts and responsibilities surrounding Pelé's estate are ultimately resolved.