Pelé has reached his final resting place.
An impressive 14-storey vertical necropolis, located a stone's throw from the Vila Belmiro stadium where the "king" of football made the heyday of Santos FC.
His burial in the strictest family intimacy on Tuesday January 3 concluded a long sequence of mourning and tributes which left Brazil orphaned by its "king".
The early hours of the day saw the end of the club's 24-hour wake.
More than 230,000 people marched on the lawn to pay their last respects to the legend who rested under a huge tent, in a coffin wrapped in a Brazilian flag.
>> To read also: "Pelé is eternal": thousands of Brazilians gathered in Santos to watch over the "king"
For his first official trip since his inauguration, President Lula came in person to pay homage to the man who had been decreed a "national monument" during his lifetime.
Arrived near the stadium by helicopter, he was greeted by the applause of his supporters.
For a few minutes, the president stole the show from the "king", who died on December 29.
Afterwards, Lula offered his condolences to Pelé's widow and then attended a brief religious ceremony in front of the remains as the stadium closed its doors to the public.
#PeleEterno For a moment the president steals the show from the king #Pele pic.twitter.com/bXb1btC69L
— Romain Houeix (@RHoueix) January 3, 2023
Chants, firecrackers and fireworks
As the head of state slipped away, the coffin was closed and the remains carried atop a fire engine.
This is the kickoff of a new stage of the tribute of the Brazilians: after the meditation, place at a festive moment.
The funeral procession set off in the middle of a compact crowd to survey the city of the "king".
"Santos! Santos! Santos!", "Pelé! Pelé! Pelé!", "A thousand goals!" for the idol of their club and of Brazil.
Fathers carry their children on their shoulders to give them a last glimpse of Pelé as fireworks and firecrackers go off.
The procession has a hard time maneuvering in the midst of popular fervor.
At the passage near the city beach, all the bathers come out of the water to pay homage to the "king".
For Selia, "no one will ever be the equal of Pelé".
© Romain Houeix, France 24
"It's a very nice tribute in his honor. Everything was done to honor him. People came from all over the world," said Selia Regina, a 62-year-old native of Santos.
"I was very moved to pass by his coffin. He was so loved. He is our king. He will be forever. He deserved all of this."
Wrapped in a Santos flag, Gabriel Barbara thinks Pelé's legacy will live on forever: "The feelings are shared. There is sadness because he died but there is also joy for all he has given us. bequeathed. He inspired the whole world and it will remain. It is therefore eternal," explains the 38-year-old man.
Gabriel believes that "Pelé is eternal".
© Romain Houeix, France 24
Close to his father, his brother and his daughter
In the midst of popular fervor, the parade offers a final moment of emotion as it passes in front of the house of "Dona Celeste", Pelé's mother.
The 100-year-old matriarch has cognitive impairment and is unaware of her son's death.
It is therefore the sister of the star who goes out to the balcony to greet the large crowd.
Throughout the course, the groups of supporters proudly escort their "king", with a lot of batucadas.
The fire engine struggles to take the last bend which will take Pelé away from his public for good under the huge banners of Santos.
At this moment, even the sky drops a few tears: the rain makes its appearance for the first time since the beginning of the mourning of the Brazilians.
#PeleEterno The last farewell of the Torcidas de Santos to Pelé #F24 pic.twitter.com/gMEovDaJvH
— Romain Houeix (@RHoueix) January 3, 2023
It is already nearly 2 p.m. when he arrives at the foot of the vertical necropolis, the first in Latin America.
The king had chosen it himself during his lifetime because "it does not look like a cemetery".
His father, his brother and his daughter are already buried there.
No doubt his mausoleum on the first floor will become a place of pilgrimage for generations of football fans.
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