Tributes from around the world have been pouring in for soccer great Pelé, who died on Thursday at the age of 82 from multiple organ failure due to the progression of colon cancer. On Monday, a 24-hour public wake began at Santos’ 16,000-seater stadium, the home of Pelé’s former club Santos, and a funeral procession began on Tuesday.
The procession started at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium and will continue to the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemetery, where a private funeral will be held for family members. Before his casket is ushered through the streets of the city of Santos, a Catholic Mass will be celebrated at the Vila Belmiro stadium.
The procession will pass down the street where Pelé’s 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, lives. Geovana Sarmento, 17, waited in the three-hour line to view his body as it lay in repose at the stadium where he played for most his career. “He is one of the greatest people ever, we needed to honor him,” she said.
Pelé is widely considered to be the greatest soccer player of all time. He won three World Cups with Brazil and scored over 1,000 goals in his career. He was also a global ambassador for the sport and a humanitarian. Forty-five years after Pelé played his last game, it’s hard to imagine modern soccer, or Brazil, without him.
People of all ages have been flocking to his 24-hour public wake and funeral procession to pay their respects. On Tuesday, Pelé will be buried in the city where he grew up, became famous, and helped make into a global capital of soccer.
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