Brazil prepares to bury legend Pelé in city he made famous

By On Jan 3, 2023

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Forty-five years after Pelé played his last game, it’s hard to imagine modern soccer, or Brazil, without him.

**APTOPIX Brazil Pele** Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, gives condolences to Marcia Aoki, widow of the late Brazilian soccer player Pele, during a wake at Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

**Brazil Pele** Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, gives condolences to Marcia Aoki, widow of the late Brazilian soccer great Pele, during a wake at Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

**APTOPIX Brazil Pele** A man holds his daughter as he lines up to pay his last respects to the late Brazilian soccer legend Pele who lies in state at Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, early Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** A soccer fan sleeps on the street as people line up to attend the funeral of the late Brazilian soccer legend Pele at the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, early Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** A man holds his daughter as he lines up to attend the funeral of the late Brazilian soccer legend Pele at the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, early Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** People wait in line to enter Vila Belmiro stadium where Pele, the late Brazilian soccer great lies in state in Santos, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** Soccer fans line up to attend the funeral procession of late Brazilian soccer legend Pele at Vila Belmiro stadium where his wake was held in Santos, Brazil, early Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** Soccer fans cheer as they pay their last respects to the late Brazilian soccer great Pele during his wake at Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, early Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** A street vendor sells drinks as soccer fans line up to attend the funeral of the late Brazilian soccer legend Pele at the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, early Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** The coffin with the remains of Brazilian soccer great Pele lies in state during his wake on the pitch of the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

**Brazil Pele** A soccer fan with a tattoo depicting the late Brazilian soccer legend Pele sits outside the Vila Belmiro stadium where his body lies in state for his wake in Santos, Brazil, early Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** A flower arrangement sent by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva lays arrive for the wake of late Brazilian soccer great Pele as he lies instate at Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**APTOPIX Brazil Pele** A soccer fans rests after paying his last respects to the late Brazilian soccer great Pele who lies in state at Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, early Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** A woman kisses a post card of Pele as she waits in line to enter Vila Belmiro stadium where the late Brazilian soccer great lies in state in Santos, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

**Brazil Pele** A crown displayed on a TV screen at Vila Belmiro stadium where Pele, the late Brazilian soccer great lies in state in Santos, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian sports legend Pelé is being buried Tuesday, with his nation of more than 200 million people and the world watching.

Newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paid his respects at Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Pelé played for most of his career.

Pelé is being buried in the city where he grew up, became famous, and helped make into a global capital of his sport. Mass is being celebrated at the Vila Belmiro stadium before the casket is ushered through the streets of Santos to a nearby cemetery.

Geovana Sarmento, 17, waited in the three-hour line to view his body as it lay in repose. She came with her father, who was wearing a Brazil shirt with Pelé’s name.

“I am not a Santos fan, neither is my father. But this guy invented Brazil’s national team. He made Santos stronger, he made it big, how could you not respect him? He is one of the greatest people ever, we needed to honor him,” she said.

Caio Zalke, 35, an engineer, wore a Brazil shirt as he waited in line. “Pelé is the most important Brazilian of all time. He made the sport important for Brazil and he made Brazil important for the world,” he said.

A notable absentee was Jair Bolsonaro, whose term as president ended Dec. 31. A day before, he departed capital Brasilia on a flight to Florida, shirking the ceremonial duty of passing the presidential sash to Lula. Bolsonaro is staying in a condominium complex outside Orlando and has been filmed speaking to neighbors.

In the 1960s and 70s, Pelé was perhaps the world’s most famous athlete. He met presidents and queens, and in Nigeria a civil war was put on hold to watch him play. Many Brazilians credit him with putting the country on the world stage for the first time.

Rows of shirts with Pelé’s number 10 were placed behind one of the goals, waving in the city’s summer winds. A section of the stands was filling up with bouquets of flowers placed by mourners and sent by clubs and star players — Neymar and Ronaldo among them — from around the world as loudspeakers played a song named “Eu sou Pelé” (“I am Pelé”) that was recorded by the Brazilian himself.

The crowd was mostly local, although some came from far away. Many mourners were too young ever to have seen Pelé play. The mood was light, as people filtered out of the stadium to local bars, wearing Santos FC and Brazil shirts.

Claudio Carrança, 32, a salesman, said: “I never saw him play, but loving Pelé is a tradition that goes from father to son in Santos. I learned his history, saw his goals, and I see how Santos FC is important because he is important. I know some Santos fans have children supporting other teams. But that’s just because they never saw Pelé in action. If they had, they would feel this gratitude I feel now.”

Among those at the stadium was Pelé’s best friend Manoel Maria, also a former Santos player.

“If I had all the wealth in the world I would never be able to repay what this man did for me and my family,” Maria said. “He was as great a man as he was as a player; the best of all time. His legacy will outlive us all. And that can be seen in this long line with people of all ages here.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino told journalists that every country should name a stadium after Pelé.

“I am here with a lot of emotion, sadness, but also with a smile because he gave us so many smiles,” Infantino said. “As FIFA, we will pay a tribute to the ‘King’ and we ask the whole world to observe a minute of silence.”

Another fan and friend in line was Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes.

“It is a very sad moment, but we are now seeing the real meaning of this legendary player to our country,” Mendes told journalists. “My office has shirts signed by Pelé, a picture of him as a goalkeeper, also signed by him. DVDs, photos, a big collection of him.”

Pelé had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the cancer.

Pelé led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorers with 77 goals. Neymar tied Pelé’s record during this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

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