Brazilians parade in front of Pele’s coffin at Santos stadium

Brazilians began to pay their respects to the “king of soccer”, Pelé, parading in front of his coffin, which was placed on Monday at the Vila Belmiro stadium in his hometown of Santos, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo.

Pelé passed away on Thursday after a battle with cancer at the age of 82.

The coffin stands on the ground where Pelé scored some of his most famous goals. Burial is scheduled for Tuesday in a cemetery just 600 meters from the stadium.

His supporters started arriving early. One of them was Brazilian Supreme Court magistrate Gilmar Mendes.

“It’s a very sad moment, but now we see the real significance of this legendary player for our country,” Mendes told reporters. My office has shirts signed by Pelé, a photo of him as a goalkeeper, also autographed and a whole great collection of him.”

Mendes affirmed that Pelé was always a modest man despite his fame and deserves all the tributes.

Pelé’s coffin will tour the streets of Santos before his burial. The presence of the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and other dignitaries is expected.

Pelé, whose name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, underwent surgery for colon cancer in 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died of multiple organ failures as a result of the cancer.

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