Pele is dead: thousands of fans prepare to say goodbye to their great idol on a sad day in Brazil

Thousands of Brazilian fans and from different countries of the world participate this Monday in the wake of the mortal remains of Peleconsidered by many to be the best footballer in history, who died last Thursday at the age of 82.

The vigil, open to the public, is held from 10am this Monday at the stadium belmir villafrom the city of Saintswhere O Rei played at home for most of his sporting career.

The playing field of the stadium, owned by the Santos club, has two white curtains installed to receive the thousands of fans who wish to greet the three-time world champion.

One of the tents, located in the center of the courtyard, will house the coffin with the mortal remains of Edson Arantes do Nascimento and the chairs where your relatives will sit; and the other, on the one hand, will be reserved for the authorities.

Supporters will be able to circulate on a walkway arranged on the lawn, parallel to the central tent, about five meters from the place where the coffin will be placed.

A huge banner with the phrase “Long live the King. Pelé 82 years” covers one of the stands of the stadium where the legendary 10 played most of his sporting career.

The vigil will last 24 hours.until 10:00 on Tuesday, when a funeral procession will begin which will travel through the streets of Santos, a port city located about 80 kilometers from Sao Paulo, where the former footballer died.

The procession will pass through the Canale 6 area, where Pelé’s mother, Celeste Arantes, who is 100, lives, before heading to the Ecumenical Necropolis Memorial Cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony, reserved for family members.

Pelé died last Thursday at the San Pablo hospital where he had been hospitalized for a month due to multiple organ failure caused by colon cancer diagnosed in 2021.

Pele’s death caused a shock in Brazil, where the government has decreed official mourning for three days.

Source: EFE