Starting at 8:00 in the morning (Colombian time), Santos will begin this Monday the last goodbye to Pelé, four days following the death of the legendary Brazilian soccer player.
On the pitch of the Vila Belmiro stadium, two white tents were installed to receive the thousands of fans who wish to say goodbye to the ‘King’ of football.
One of the tents, located in the center of the field, will house the coffin with the mortal remains of Edson Arantes do Nascimento ‘Pelé’ and the chairs where his relatives will sit; and the other, on one side, will be reserved for authorities.
Fans will be able to circulate on a walkway arranged on the grass, parallel to the central tent, regarding five meters from the place where the coffin will be located.
A huge banner with the phrase “Long live the King. Pelé 82 years old ”covers one of the stands of the stadium where the three-time world champion played a large part of his sports career.
The wake will be open to the public and will last 24 hours. Then, there will be a funeral procession that will go through the streets of Santos, a port city located regarding 80 kilometers from Sao Paulo, where the former soccer player died last Thursday at the age of 82.
The procession will pass through the Channel 6 area, where Pelé’s mother lives, Celeste Arantes, who is 100 years old, before heading to the Ecumenical Necropolis Memorial Cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony, reserved for family members.
Pelé died of multi-organ failure caused by colon cancer that was diagnosed in 2021.
The death of Pelé, considered by many to be the best soccer player in history, has caused a stir in the beautiful game and in Brazil, where the government declared official three-day mourning.
In addition, in various parts of the world the tributes continue. From the Premier League in England, which continued with its competition at the beginning of the year, to New York, China and India, to mention just a few regions in which idol honors have been diverse. Statues, photographs, murals have appeared, among other forms of remembrance. Anyway, the world continues to say goodbye to O Rei.
