For 24 hours, the parade of hearty fans and people who simply admired him has been incessant in front of the coffin of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé, O Rei, who died at the age of 82. Brazil’s new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, arrived early Tuesday, just before the end of the popular tribute ceremony at the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, for the wake for what many consider the perfect footballer. Immediately thereafter, the coffin followed a procession through the main streets of this coastal town, with a special stop in front of the home of his mother, a centenarian housewife named Doña Celeste. The family funeral will take place this afternoon in Santos, 70 kilometers from São Paulo, where the global soccer icon died on the 29th of complications from a colon tumor.
No other player has managed to emulate the feat of winning three world championships like he did more than half a century ago. And only Brazil has five World Cups, more than anyone else.
Lula’s visit to the wake, which lasted about 15 minutes, was his first public act as head of state. He took office in a numerous and festive ceremony on Sunday (for a third four-year term) and on Monday dedicated it to holding bilateral meetings in Brasilia with the foreign leaders attending the ceremony. The Brazilian President arrived with his wife Rosangela Silva, known as Janja, in a helicopter that landed near the stadium. He made no statements.
President Lula comforts Pelé’s relatives this Tuesday at the wake held in Vila Belmiro, in Santos (São Paulo). Andre Penner (AP)
The fans, who postponed the farewell at the last minute, were lucky because on this Tuesday morning the line was moving very quickly and the sky was cloudy. Very different from the day before, when we had to wait up to three hours under the scorching sun. During the early morning the parade of citizens continued. Always at a brisk pace, urged not to stop, as at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of England, as some Santos recalled as they waited. Pelé rested in an open coffin in the middle of the Vila Belmiro lawn, his face protected by a delicate veil. At Rei’s feet, the flags of Santos (black and white) and that of Brazil. Several of his children and grandchildren surrounded him at the last public ceremony.
The gates of the field, where Pelé scored more than a thousand goals, closed at ten in the morning after 24 hours. A simple wake for the most famous Brazilian in the world for the man who knew monarchs and presidents. Many compatriots, passionate about Pelé’s art, have come to pay him a simple, close homage, such as is paid to a friend or relative. Yes, the great successes of Brazilian football have been missed. Some of those who accompanied Pelé in conquering the three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970) are old, but neither the youngest nor the current stars of the Canarinha have come close to Santos.
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After the wake, the coffin with the mortal remains drove through the center of Santos on the roof of a fire engine. Thousands of residents and vacationers enjoying the New Year holiday in the city have gathered on the sidewalks to watch the parade and immortalize the moment on their phones. When you reach the promenade, the beach has emptied as if by magic. Nobody wanted to miss the moment. Thousands of local and foreign journalists have disembarked to cover the final farewell of the Brazilian soccer player who, thanks to his talent and television, popularized this sport created by wealthy Britons among the masses, including the poor in his country and the rest of the world .
“Pelé is known wherever there is a TV signal,” said Jose Bispo do Santos, 77, who is completing his retirement behind the wheel of a taxi. Uncharacteristically for a Brazilian, he openly admits his disinterest in the beautiful game, but comments full of admiration that Pelé has ended a war.
In his response for the soul of the deceased, the Catholic priest highlighted that the king showed “elegant, artistic and creative football”. He’s also said he’ll be in good company in heaven: “Cruyff, Maradona, Di Stefano… they’re waiting for him to play a party.”
Two decades ago, Edson Arantes do Nascimento bought the niche where it will rest. It is located on the Ecumenical Necropolis of Saints Memorial Cemetery, which is the tallest in the world and looks more like a luxury building. They comment around town that each seat costs about 50,000 reais (about $9,000). O Rei will be buried in a private ceremony this afternoon in this quiet room overlooking the Vila Belmiro lawn.
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