SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Fans lined up early Monday outside the Vila Belmiro Stadium ahead of Pelé’s funeral in his hometown of Santos.
Pelé scored scored a few of the perfect goals of his profession on the 16,000-seat stadium outside Sao Paulo. His funeral is scheduled start at 10 a.m. local time, and the burial will happen in a vertical cemetery only 600 meters away on Tuesday.
Fans began arriving on the stadium within the early hours of Monday to pay their last respects to Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally referred to as Pelé.
One among them was Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes.
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“It’s a really sad moment, but we are actually seeing the actual meaning of this legendary player to our country,” Mendes told journalists. “My office has shirts signed by Pelé, an image of him as a goalkeeper, also signed by him. DVDs, photos, a giant collection of him.”
Mendes also said Pelé was a humble man despite his global fame, and that he deserves every tribute.
Contained in the Vila Belmiro, a big tent has been set to position Pelé’s coffin.
After Pelé’s funeral, his casket shall be ushered through the streets of Santos before his burial. Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other dignitaries are expected to attend.
Pelé had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died of multiple organ failure consequently of the cancer.
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