Brazil: in his city of Santos, King Pelé has reached his final resting place

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The coffin of Brazilian Pelé, transported to the Santos cemetery, this Tuesday, January 3, 2023. AFP - CARL DE SOUZA

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4 mins

Songs, tears and mobile phones brandished by the thousands to immortalize the moment.

The procession of the remains of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, on Tuesday January 3, allowed Santos, as well as all of Brazil, to pay a last tribute to the King, the only footballer in history to have won three World Cups.

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With our special correspondents in the State of São Paulo,

Atmosphere of national communion, for the final farewell to the King, whose funeral was held this Tuesday in Santos, after 24 hours of funeral wake in the stadium of the club of the city, whose Pelé carried high the colors.

As soon as the coffin left the sports enclosure, the supporters accompanied it.

Especially Eduardo.

It is a great sadness to see the coffin, and at the same time an immense joy to know that this great man played for our club, wore our sacred Santos shirt, and showed the world the most beautiful of footballs.

It is an honor for us, supporters.

Pelé is eternal, he will never die, for us.

He will remain in our hearts.

And now I'm going to follow him to the cemetery.

Thousands of people accompanied the black coffin of the legend of Brazilian and world football, this Tuesday through Santos.

Pelé's family and loved ones will have waited much longer than expected.

The procession carrying his remains through the city had been wanted by Pelé himself, who had prepared his own funeral with great care.

But it will have lasted three and a half hours, instead of the 50 minutes announced.

Along the streets where the fire truck carrying the icon was advancing: dozens of people slowing down the advance of the convoy, in particular groups of supporters, who were singing and waving their banners.

From the exit of the Urbano-Caldeira stadium of the Santos Futebol Clube, better known as the Vila Belmiro stadium, to the surroundings of the cemetery, the most loyal fans will have accompanied Pelé to his final resting place.

Pelé's coffin, draped with the flags of his club Santos and Brazil, transported from the Vila Belmiro stadium to the cemetery, this Tuesday, January 3, 2023. AP - Matias Delacroix

►Read again: "What he did for us, no one will do again": Brazilians bid farewell to Pelé

“He meant a lot for Brazil, for Santos and for me”

Upstream, according to the military police quoted by the club, some 230,000 people, or half the population of Santos, came in 24 hours to pay tribute to the greatest hero in the history of the city.

A huge popular tribute, therefore, even if very few great Brazilian players have come to the stadium.

Among the personalities who have done so: the president of the country, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Just reinstalled in power in Brasília, on the third day of his mandate, Lula came in the morning, shortly before the body was lifted, to offer his condolences to the bereaved family.

“ 

 ,” he said.

Pelé was, in addition to being the best player in the world, a humble and very simple person.

It is a huge loss for Brazil.

But we must say that Pelé is not dead, he just left for a better place.

May he rest in peace.

The body of the legend now rests in a 200m2 mausoleum, in the vertical cemetery of the city of Santos.

The end of two days of tributes for these thousands of Brazilians affected by the disappearance of their "king", like the retired Marco Gama, who came from São Paulo.

I saw Pelé play, I saw all the Santos matches, and I couldn't not be here!

He is the most famous man who has ever existed in the world of football.

Impossible not to come.

And it was very moving, a lot of people, and even President Lula.

It's good that he came, our president.

Pelé's remains arrive in their final resting place in Santos on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. AP - Andre Penner

►Read also: Brazil: President Lula meditates in front of Pelé's coffin

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