Football legend buried
Pelé has arrived at his final resting place
The coffin of Brazilian football legend Pelé († 82) has arrived at the Santos cemetery. “O Rei” was buried with his family.
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Pele is buried in Santos.
Brazil’s football king has found his final resting place: Pelé’s coffin arrived at the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica vertical cemetery in Santos shortly after 2 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday. The burial that followed took place in the family circle.
Pelé was buried in the entrance area of the mausoleum and not in a crypt on the ninth floor, as it was initially called, which he had bought 19 years ago. The room is said to be around 200 square meters and is laid out with artificial turf. Jerseys and other memorabilia adorn the hall, which is later to be made accessible to fans and tourists.
Earlier, after a 24-hour public wake in the stadium of his longtime club FC Santos, Pelé’s coffin was carried in a funeral procession through the streets of the port city, 75 kilometers south of Sao Paulo. The procession also passed the house where Pelé’s 100-year-old mother Celeste Arantes lives.
Pelé, who was the only player in history to have won the world championship three times, died on December 29 of complications from cancer. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, his real name, was worshiped in Brazil as “O Rei”, the king. (AFP)