Pele has confirmed on his Twitter account that his 77-year-old sibling has lost his battle with prostate cancer.
Zoca – full name Jair Arantes do Nascimento – followed in his brother's footsteps when he joined the youth system of local club Santos.
But despite being a talented player, he was unable to step out of the shadow of the genius who became the best player in the world when still in his teens.
The three-time World Cup winner, who has himself been suffering with health problems, Tweeted: “With much sadness in my heart, I report that my dear brother Jair Arantes do Nascimento died in Santos, in the hospital where he was being treated for complications in the prostate, where he was fighting cancer for more than a year.
“May God receive you in heaven and comfort our family.”
Pele and Zoca were the only children of Fluminense player Dondinho.
But even though their dad played for one of Brazil's biggest clubs, they grew up in poverty.
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Dondinho taught his sons the basic skills of the game by kicking a sock stuffed with the pages of a newspaper.
This article was most recently revised and updated 5 years ago
