Pele is buried on the ninth floor of a vertical cemetery overlooking the Santos soccer field in his beloved hometown to honor his father, who wore the No. 9 jersey when he was a player.
On Tuesday, the football legend will be buried in the vault of the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica – just half a mile from the stadium that made him famous.
The Brazilian thought long and hard about where he wanted to be buried and decided on his final resting place, paying homage to his father Dodinho.
Dodinho, who died in 1996, was a center forward who wore the No.9 shirt.
Pele is buried on the ninth floor of a vertical cemetery overlooking the Santos soccer field in his beloved hometown to honor his father, who wore the No. 9 jersey when he was a player
On Tuesday, the football legend will be buried in the vaults of the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica (pictured), which is said to be the tallest vertical cemetery in the world with more than 14,000 vaults
Out of respect for his father, Pele chose to be buried on the ninth floor of the world’s tallest vertical cemetery, reports the Mirror.
Fans of the soccer superstar believe this resting place means Pele can watch over his favorite soccer field for eternity.
The vertical cemetery was built in 1983 and has more than 14,000 vaults. It has a tropical garden, a restaurant and even a vintage car museum.
After the funeral, the country enters a three-day state mourning.
Many of the other details regarding the ceremony have been kept secret, however it has been reported by the Mirror that the coffin will be painted a special golden colour, with a series of carvings and etchings by Pele on both sides.
The public has 24 hours to pay tribute to Pele as his coffin lies on the center circle of the pitch where he has played most of his career
A 24-hour public vigil will be held at the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of Santos where Pele spent much of his career. His coffin will be buried on the ninth floor of the world’s tallest cemetery, where fans believe he will have an eternal view of the stadium that made him famous
The vertical cemetery was built in 1983 and has more than 14,000 vaults. It has a tropical garden, a restaurant and even a vintage car museum
Edson Arantes do Nascimento died Thursday after a long battle with cancer. The legend, better known as Pele, lived to be 82 years old.
He is the only man to have won three world championships in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.
Fans visited the cemetery to pay their respects to the footballer yesterday as they stood near the vault.
A fan on the verge of tears paid his respects to both Pele and his father.
He told the Mirror: “We were going to come today because this will all be cordoned off by the police tomorrow.
“We came to pay our respects and show the children Pele’s final resting place and what the city of Santos meant to him.
Soccer legend Pele, pictured in New York in 1975, will be buried in a vast multi-story cemetery in Santos on Tuesday
“And it overlooks the Vila Belmiro stadium, where he has played on so many occasions.”
Pele’s coffin is currently at the Vila Belmiro Stadium, where hundreds of thousands of fans are expected on Monday. It stays there for 24 hours.
His coffin is carried through a Santos suburb on Tuesday, where his 100-year-old mother, Dona Celeste, still lives.
His mother, who is in poor health, is unaware of her son’s death from colon cancer.
Yesterday Pele’s sister Maria said: “We are talking but she does not know the situation. She is in her own world.”
Pele died of multiple organ failure on December 28 at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paolo at the age of 82
Referring to the three-time world champion, nicknamed Dico, from his family childhood, she added, “She opens her eyes when I mention his name and say, ‘We’re going to pray for him,’ but she’s not really aware , what I say.’
After the coffin is carried through the city’s suburbs, Pele is taken to his final resting place, the Necrópole Ecumênica Memorial, which was dubbed “A Tomb with a View” in a 2014 short film about the cemetery.
His funeral was postponed to allow for the change of power of outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and the inauguration of President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday morning.
The football star’s death has caused grief around the world.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Pele’s influence in world football will last forever.
Guardiola said: “On behalf of Manchester City, our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Football is football thanks to these types of people.
‘Neymar said a great sentence when he said the number 10 before (Pele) was just a number and after that it became something special.
“Every top player wanted to wear the number 10 on their team. What he did for football is there and always will be.
Monuments around the world were lit to commemorate Pele, including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro
“It’s like a good film, the legacy after many years. The reason we still talk about it like a good movie or a good book is because it was so good.
“I think Pele, (Diego) Maradona, (Johan) Cruyff, (Lionel) Messi, (Franz) Beckenbauer, Cristiano Ronaldo – those kinds of players will be forever, they will be forever.
“They have done a lot of things over many years, on and off the pitch and with their teams and countries.
“These types of players make our business, our work, our job, however you want to put it, a better place because what he produced, what we saw at the World Cup, what a team can produce, 48 can do change millions of people. the country. It’s incredible.’
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said the Brazilian players in his Gunners side, including Gabriel Magalhaes, vice-captain Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Marquinhos, are mourning their compatriot.
He said: “We were talking about (his legacy) the other day and obviously they’re very emotional because he’s one of the most popular characters in Brazil and it’s a big loss.
Floral tributes spelling out their most famous son have been left outside Santos City Hall by mourners
“Of course everything I’ve seen and heard from him was through videos and people who knew him personally and a lot of the relationships I’ve always had in football, but someone who probably changed the dimension of an individual player in world football because he could do a little bit of everything.
“He was probably the most complete player the game has ever seen and it’s a huge loss. We’ve had two big losses in the last (two years) with him and Maradona.’
Frank Lampard, the former England and Chelsea midfielder-turned-Everton manager, acknowledges the huge impact Pele had in the game.
Lampard, 44, said: “There is a lot of respect for him as a player and as a person, as all the responses since yesterday have shown. He was a great man and a great player.
“He was without a doubt one of the greatest, so a sad day for football.
“The reach of his name in the game was obviously huge. It only gets bigger with age. We sadly lost him, but his name will live forever because of his impact on the game.’