The shockwaves were immediate: Pelé’s global brand has officially been taken over by Neymar Jr’s family in a jaw-dropping deal worth a reported $18 million.

Neymar Santos Sr, who owns NR Sports, announced the sensational acquisition on Tuesday at the Pelé Museum in Santos, the same city where O Rei wrote his football story.

“We are proud to reach this milestone,” Neymar Sr declared, stressing that Pelé’s name still carries unmatched power across the world.

He added that the mission now is to modernise Pelé’s legacy and reintroduce it to a new generation.

While NDAs kept the precise figures sealed, Brazilian outlets spilled that the transfer hovered around $18m, previously controlled by U.S. firm Sport 10.

Pelé, Brazil’s eternal football monarch, remains the only man with three World Cups to his name (1958, 1962, 1970). His death in December 2022 hasn’t dimmed the reverence surrounding him.

His daughter, Flavia, visibly emotional, said the takeover returned her father’s “soul and humanity” home.

NR Sports described the move as the “repatriation” of one of global sport’s greatest symbols, signalling a major push to protect and expand Pelé’s legacy into the future.

AFP.