SANTOS: The Brazilian coastal city of Santos, which sporting giant Pele turned into a byword for soccer brilliance during a glittering club career, started bidding goodbye to its hero on Monday with a 24-hour wake.
Mourners lined up to see Pele's body in an open casket in the center of the field at the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of the Santos Football Club. Pele died on Thursday at 82 after battling colon cancer.
"Pele leaves millions of Santos fans across our country. He was the creator of Brazilian soccer," said Antonio da Paz, a fan outside the stadium for the memorial that began at 10 a.m. (1300 GMT).
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among the first to arrive for the service and said he would ask every country to name a stadium after Pele, the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player.
"Pele is eternal," Infantino told reporters. "FIFA will certainly honor the 'king' as he deserves. We have asked all football associations in the world to pay a minute of silence before every game and will also ask them, 211 countries, to name a stadium after Pele. Future generations must know and remember who Pele was."
Edson Arantes do Nascimento - Pele's given name - was born in 1940 in the small country town of Tres Coracoes, but moved to Santos in 1956 and lived there for most of his life.
In the early hours of Monday, his body arrived under fireworks in the city of about 430,000 people from Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital.
Former Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto and Pele's son Edinho helped place his coffin on the field, TV footage showed. Floral wreaths were sent by the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Spanish club Real Madrid.
On Tuesday, a procession carrying Pele's coffin will pass through the streets of Santos, ending at the Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony.
Santos' press office said some 5,000 journalists from all over the world had been accredited to cover the wake of Pele, who scored more than 1,000 goals for Santos.
Several government officials are set to attend the memorial, including newly sworn-in Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, a longtime Santos supporter.
Lula will pay his respects and pay tribute to Pele and his family on Tuesday morning, the president's office said in a statement.
Sao Paulo state military police said in a statement they had prepared a special operation called the "King Pele Operation" to ensure public order.
"I'll be here all day, 24 hours, from 10 a.m. to 10 a.m.," fan Roberto Santos said. "Pele deserves it".
Reuters
Tue Jan 03 2023
Brazilian soccer legend Pele is seen in his casket, on the pitch of his former club Santos' Vila Belmiro stadium as mourners present their respect. - REUTERS
Malaysia sedia jalin kerjasama rapat dengan Arab Saudi dalam bidang tenaga diperbaharui
Malaysia sedia menjalin kerjasama rapat dengan Arab Saudi bagi meneroka potensi usaha sama serta bertukar-tukar ilmu dan pengalaman dalam bidang tenaga diperbaharui.
Kumpulan pro-ganja di Thailand bertemu Menteri Kesihatan
Kumpulan pro-ganja di Thailand berkumpul di Kementerian Kesihatan pada Khamis untuk membantah rancangan kerajaan menyenaraikan semula ganja sebagai dadah.
Jiran suspek bimbang, terkejut
Penduduk yang tinggal di kawasan kejiranan suspek yang menembak Perdana Menteri Slovakia, Robert Fico, mengakui bimbang dan terkejut, sehari selepas cubaan membunuh yang mendedahkan perpecahan politik di negara itu.
PM Slovakia ditembak: Jiran suspek bimbang, terkejut
Penduduk yang tinggal di kawasan kejiranan suspek yang menembak Perdana Menteri Slovakia, Robert Fico, mengakui bimbang dan terkejut, sehari selepas cubaan membunuh yang mendedahkan perpecahan politik di negara itu.
[TERKINI] Suspek sudah didakwa atas cubaan membunuh
Penembak itu bertindak bersendirian dan pernah mengambil bahagian dalam protes antikerajaan.
Cabaran penuhi citarasa jemaah dalam peraturan ketat Arab Saudi
Cabaran untuk menepati peraturan dan undang-undang kerajaan Arab Saudi yang lebih ketat berbanding di Malaysia antara kekangan utama buat petugas katering dalam operasi haji musim 1445M/2024 dalam menyediakan 2 juta pek makanan buat jemaah.
Wanita warga emas maut dilanggar kereta mengundur
Seorang wanita warga emas meninggal dunia dilanggar keretanya sendiri yang bergerak dalam keadaan mengundur, dipercayai akibat terlupa menarik brek tangan.
Perodua Masters: Hampir 300 pemain bakal berentap dalam edisi 2024
Biarpun pusingan kelayakan Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 sudah berakhir, namun kejohanan itu tetap berjaya menarik penyertaan bintang dalam Top10 ranking dunia.
Sistem pendidikan harus di depan, terajui digitalisasi
Apa yang dibimbangi ketika ini ialah jika sistem pendidikan mampu bergerak seiring dengan kepesatan pembangunan khususnya dalam teknologi digital.
Lebih 1,000 individu ditahan di Kelantan
Polis menahan sejumlah 1,488 individu atas pelbagai kesalahan dadah dalam Operasi Tapis Bersepadu di seluruh Kelantan bagi tempoh 29 April hingga 15 Mei.
Endrick belum tahap Pele
Penyerang muda Brazil, Endrick belum boleh disamakan dengan mendiang Pele, menurut Ketua Jurulatih Brazil, Dorival Junior.
Neymar pintas rekod jaringan Pele
NEYMAR memecahkan rekod Pele sebagai penjaring terbanyak Brazil selepas meledak dua gol dalam aksi Kelayakan Piala Dunia 2026 Zon Amerika Selatan pada awal pagi Sabtu.
Endrick enggan dibayangi Pele
Hakikatnya, tiada siapa yang mampu menggantikan Pele, dia adalah raja bola sepak.
'Ketibaan Ronaldo ke Al Nassr sama seperti Pele berhijrah ke Cosmos' - Garcia
Pemain kebangsaan Portugal itu masih belum membuat penampilan sulung kerana penggantungan domestik yang dilakukan sejak di United.
Pele disemadi di Santos
Pele akan dikebumikan di bandar tempatnya membesar dan mengembangkan karier bola sepaknya.
Buku takziah digital raja bola sepak Brazil Pele kini tersedia untuk rakyat Malaysia
Buku ucapan takziah digital kini disediakan untuk peminat bola sepak Malaysia memberikan penghormatan kepada mendiang legenda bola sepak Brazil Pele
Presiden FIFA saran setiap negara wujudkan stadium bersempena Pele
Brazil memasuki tempoh berkabung kebangsaan selepas kematian Pele.
Penghormatan terakhir Pele di Stadium Vila Belmiro
Jasad Pele atau nama sebenar Edson Arantes do Nascimento ditempatkan di stadium itu dua hari sebelum dikebumikan di Santos pada Rabu.
Santos tunda hajat bersarakan jersi nombor 10
Beberapa laporan di Brazil mengatakan anak perempuan Pele meminta ia dibersarakan, tetapi Santos enggan terburu-buru.
Ibu tidak tahu Pele sudah tiada
Difahamkan, ibu Pele kini terlantar sakit dan menghabiskan masanya di atas katil di kediamannya di Santos, Sao Paulo.