CNN
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A funeral procession to take football great Pele to his final resting place began on Tuesday.
The procession began at the Urbano Caldeira stadium, home of Pele’s former club, Santos, and his coffin was carried through the streets of Santos city, including through the street where Pele’s 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, lives. increase.
It continues to the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica Cemetery, where private funeral services are held for families.
of The three-time World Cup winner died Thursday at the age of 82 from multiple organ failure due to progression of colon cancer.
Since then, tributes have poured in from around the world, with people of all ages flocking to his 24-hour public appearance that began Monday at Santos’ 16,000-seat stadium known as ‘Vila Vermiro’. rice field.
More than 150,000 people had turned up by Tuesday morning, many wearing Brazil’s iconic yellow jerseys, Santos said.
According to CNN’s team at the scene, the doors to the stadium were closed with thousands of mourners still lined up, and people were forced out.
Thousands lined the streets, waving flags and clapping as the Brazilian’s coffin passed.
Pele’s sister, Lucia, was seen tearfully waving from the balcony to the crowd that had gathered outside her mother’s house.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva arrived at his wake Tuesday morning, and police security was “very much” increased in response to the president’s presence, Santos told CNN.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino paid a visit to Brazil on Monday to pay tribute.
“Pele is forever,” Infantino told reporters, according to Reuters. “FIFA will rightfully honor the ‘King’.
“We have asked all football associations around the world to observe a moment of silence before every match and will ask 211 countries to name their stadiums after Pele. We must know and remember who the
For over 60 years, the name Pele has been synonymous with football. He is the only player in history to have won the World Cup on his four occasions and won three times, but his legacy extends far beyond trophy wins and notable goalscoring record.
“Just as Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint, I was born to play football,” Pele famously said.
Born in Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, and his death was followed by a three-day national memorial service in Brazil.
