Pelé’s mortuary chapel
Thousands of soccer fans have passed by the funeral chapel of former Brazilian football player Edson Arantes do Nascimento ‘Pele’, installed at Santos FC’s Estádio Urbano Caldeira, to pay their last farewell to ‘O Rei’, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 82. SOURCE: (EUROPA PRESS)
Santos Stadium
The mortal remains of the only player to have won three World Cups, exposed and accompanied by the flags of Santos and Brazil, were placed in the center of the stadium to be watched over by family members and thousands of compatriots, who have not stopped entering and leaving the stadium to pay him a heartfelt tribute.
Transfer of the coffin
The funeral procession arrived at the Vila Belmiro district at around 4:00 local time on Monday, and his coffin was carried by, among others, his son Edinho and ex-footballer Zé Roberto. For 24 hours, Pelé will be able to receive the affection of soccer fans.
Numerous fans
Numerous fans waited at the entrance of the stadium. The motorcade, escorted by police and firefighters, had left about two hours earlier from the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, some 80 kilometers away, where Pelé died on Thursday at the age of 82.
Infantino and Dominguez
Among the thousands of people who have come to bid him farewell were FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez. Brazil’s new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is also expected to attend the wake.
Ecumenical Memorial Cemetery
This Tuesday, a funeral procession will carry Pelé’s body through the neighborhood where Pelé’s centenarian mother still lives to the tower of the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemetery. There, Pelé will be buried in his family’s niche.
Infantino asks for the name of a stadium
FIFA president Gianni Infantino revealed Monday that he will ask all member countries to dedicate a stadium to the memory of Brazilian footballer Edson Arantes do Nascimento ‘Pelé’, who died last Thursday at the age of 82.
Minute of silence
«Pele is eternal. Of course, from FIFA, we will pay tribute to ‘O Rei’ as he deserves. We are now going to ask all the federations in the world to observe a minute’s silence at every match. What I can say is that we will also ask all 211 countries to name a stadium after Pelé. In every country in the world there should be a stadium named after Pelé,» he confirmed upon arrival at the Brazilian star’s wake in the city of Santos.
Helping to make their memory last
The head of world soccer’s governing body believes that this measure will help his memory to live on. «Young people around the world, future generations, have to know and remember who Pelé was, the joy he brought to the world. In 20, 30, 50 years, when children score goals in Pelé Stadium and ask who he was, they will know that he was a great footballer who moved us,» he said.
