Thousands of Fans Line Up to Pay Their Respects to Pelé at Public Wake in Brazil
Thousands of fans gathered in Santos, Brazil, to pay their respects for the late soccer legend Pelé.
Pelé's public wake was held Monday at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium. The soccer star died on Thursday after undergoing treatment for colon cancer since September 2021. He was 82.
The three-time World Cup winner's coffin was placed on the field where he scored some of his best goals — and mourners walked past his casket.
Matias Delacroix/AP/Shutterstock Pelé's public wake
The stadium was decorated with Brazilian flags and No. 10 shirts, which is the number Pelé wore on his jersey for Santos and Brazil. Meanwhile, the stands were filled with bouquets of flowers from mourners and "Eu sou Pelé" ("I am Pelé"), a song recorded by the star played on repeat in the loudspeakers, the Associated Press reports.
NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images Pelé's public wake
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Fans arrived early to pay their respects and flooded the streets wearing No. 10 jerseys and yellow and green attire.
MIGUEL SCHINCARIOL/AFP via Getty Images Pelé's public wake
Among them was FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who told journalists that every country should have a stadium named after the soccer legend.
"I am here with a lot of emotion, sadness, but also with a smile because he gave us so many smiles," Infantino said, per the AP. "As FIFA, we will pay a tribute to the 'King' and we ask the whole world to observe a minute of silence."
Andre Penner/AP/Shutterstock Pelé's public wake
The funeral procession will begin at the stadium Tuesday morning. His casket will then be ushered through the streets of Santos and he will be buried at the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemetery.
Pelé's son, Edson Nascimento, posted a series of Instagram Stories about the trip to Santos.
"Taking our king home", read one with a video of him driving on the highway. Another showed his hand over the coffin with the caption: "We are home."
George Tiedemann /Sports Illustrated via Getty Late soccer legend Pelé while playing for New York Cosmos in 1977
Pelé's daughter Kely Nascimento paid tribute to her father on social media Thursday.
"Everything that we are, is thanks to you," she wrote in an Instagram post. "We love you infinitely. Rest in peace."
RELATED: Pelé, Celebrated Brazilian Soccer Legend, Dead at 82
Following the news of Pelé's death, tributes began to pour in on social media from other players, commentators and world leaders.
Pelé earned the World Cup Championship title alongside Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest soccer players ever to grace the sport.
He retired from soccer on Oct. 1, 1977, nearly two years after he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. His final exhibition, in front of a record 77,000 soccer fans in New Jersey, was particularly special because it was between the Cosmos and Santos.
To honor his long career, Pelé played half the game with each club.
