Brazil is ready to say goodbye to Pelé. Starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, fans will have 24 hours to go to the Vila Belmiro stadium and say goodbye to the popular idol. One of the decisions that was made for the historic procession that will receive thousands of fans was that the funeral be held in an open box to maintain that connection that O Réi maintained with all football fans throughout his professional career and also when he decided hang up the boots
In order to preserve the body of Edson Arantes do Nascimento in the best possible way, it was embalmed the day before and the wake will take place in a coffin with an open urn in Santos’ house. As indicated by the newspaper Lance, the procedure performed is called thanatopraxia, which prepares the corpse before burial in order to ensure a better appearance throughout the wake. The preparation took place in an air-conditioned room at the Albert Einstein Hospital, the same place where the three-time World Cup champion died at the age of 82.
It should be remembered that, due to the inauguration of the new Brazilian president, Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, the start of the wake for the Brazilian soccer legend three times world champion with Verdeamarela was delayed. The body was transferred from the clinic to the sports venue during the early hours of the morning along the highway and was escorted by riot police. Once the 24 hours established to say goodbye to the popular idol are completed, the caravan will start up to the Ecumenical Necropole Memorial.
This place is a renowned cemetery that has a particular detail: it is built vertically and since 1991 it has been part of the Guinness Record for being the highest in the world. According to various Brazilian media reports, two decades ago Pelé chose this place and even there the remains of his brother rest.
“I chose this place for its organization, cleanliness and structure. It is a place that transmits spiritual peace and tranquility, where the person does not get depressed, it does not even look like a cemetery”, he had declared some time ago to the newspaper A Tribuna. In July 2003, when he was 62 years old, he bought a lot on the ninth floor of that place, in honor of the number nine that his father wore when he was a soccer player. The site also has another peculiarity: the view overlooks the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Vila Belmiro.
A structure was set up on the grass of the field of play to allow the public to say goodbye to Pelé with the obligation that no one can stop his march and thus slow down the line. Men, women, children and grandparents began to walk down the aisle wearing the characteristic black and white colors of Santos or the classic Verdeamarelha of the national team. In addition, a large number of cell phones could be seen in the hands of the fans to record the unforgettable moment.
