By MAURICIO SAVARESE (AP Sports Writer)
SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Thousands of mourners started paying their respects to Pelé in a solemn procession previous his coffin on the Vila Belmiro Stadium in his hometown of Santos on Monday.
The Brazilian soccer nice died Thursday after a battle with most cancers. The three-time World Cup winner was 82.
Pelé’s coffin was positioned on the sphere the place he scored a few of his finest targets. Mourners walked previous his casket within the midfield space of the 16,000-seat stadium exterior Sao Paulo. A Catholic Mass will probably be celebrated there Tuesday morning earlier than his burial at a close-by cemetery.
Vila Belmiro was embellished with Brazilian flags and No. 10 shirts that turned common after Pelé began sporting them for Santos and Brazil.
The stands have been filling up with bouquets of flowers positioned by mourners and despatched by golf equipment and star gamers — Neymar and Ronaldo amongst them — from all over the world as loudspeakers performed a track named “Eu sou Pelé” (“I am Pelé”) that was recorded by the Brazilian himself.
Fans arrived early to honor Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally often known as Pelé.
Among them was FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who informed journalists that each nation ought to title a stadium after Pelé.
“I am here with a lot of emotion, sadness, but also with a smile because he gave us so many smiles,” Infantino mentioned. “As FIFA, we will pay a tribute to the ‘King’ and we ask the whole world to observe a minute of silence.”
Another fan and pal in line 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 informed 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 additionally mentioned Pelé was a humble man regardless of his international fame, and that he deserves each tribute.
Pelé’s casket will probably be ushered via the streets of Santos earlier than his burial. Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and different dignitaries are anticipated to attend.
Pelé had undergone therapy for colon most cancers since 2021. The medical middle the place he had been hospitalized mentioned he died of a number of organ failure because of the most cancers.
Pelé led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and stays one of many crew’s all-time main scorers with 77 targets. Neymar tied Pelé’s file throughout this yr’s World Cup in Qatar.
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