Pele Fans Pay Respect at Stadium He Made Famous - Soccer Legend to Be Buried Near the Arena
Mourners began paying their respects to Pelé in a solemn procession past his coffin at the Vila Belmiro Stadium in his hometown of Santos, Brazil, on Monday.
The soccer legend died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 82.
Pelé’s coffin was placed on the field where he scored some of the best goals of his career. Mourners walked past his casket in the 16,000-seat stadium outside Sao Paulo. His burial will take place Tuesday in a cemetery only 600 yards away.
A look inside Santos FC’s Vila Belmiro Stadium – outside São Paulo, 🇧🇷 – the place where Pelé dazzled crowds for nearly two decades, and where a funeral will be held today and tomorrow as fans, a nation and the world says goodbye. 💚💛
🎥 @dw_espanol
pic.twitter.com/FcDid0cTb2— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) January 2, 2023
Fans arrived at the stadium in the early hours of Monday to honor the man born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but known globally as Pelé.
One of them was Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes.
“It is a very sad moment, but we are now seeing the real meaning of this legendary player to our country,” Mendes told journalists. “My office has shirts signed by Pelé, a picture of him as a goalkeeper, also signed by him. DVDs, photos, a big collection of him.”
Mendes also said Pelé was a humble man despite his global fame, and that he deserves every tribute.
Tributes lit up social media as well.
I was so thrilled to be honored at a soccer match in Brazil by Pelé. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would meet him, to be honored by him and spend time with him in his home country was one of the most special moments in my life. pic.twitter.com/rJrVz4mfaN
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 2, 2023
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino wants every country in the world to name a stadium after Pele. #PeléEterno
pic.twitter.com/iVV8teKFdg— Juliet Bawuah (@julietbawuah) January 2, 2023
Pele made everyone smile 🕊 pic.twitter.com/J7PjuLrkIq
— GOAL (@goal) January 2, 2023
Pelé’s casket will 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 as a result of the cancer.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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