"
He was everything to football
."
From the southern states, Rio or São Paulo, thousands of Brazilians converged on Monday at the Santos stadium to express their "
gratitude
" and to meditate with the remains covered with white flowers of the legendary Pelé.
The 16,000-seat Vila Belmiro stadium has been hosting a 24-hour vigil open to the public since 10 a.m. local time (1 p.m. GMT).
In the center of the field, under a large awning with chairs to take the time to meditate, is exposed the open coffin where rests what many consider to be the greatest footballer in history.
The stands are adorned with huge banners in memory of the star who died on December 29 at the age of 82, with the inscriptions "
Long live the king
" or "
Eternal Pele
”.
On Tuesday, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, will be buried in a private ceremony in the cemetery of the port city south of São Paulo.
"
There are no words to describe him, he represented everything for football
," Pedro Stolber, 71, told AFP before entering the stadium where "
O Rei
" played from 1956 to 1974 “
It's moving to see people paying tribute to him.
He's the king, isn't
he,” he said visibly affected, his eyes hidden by sunglasses.
With his wife Clady, 67, he left the state of Parana, in southern Brazil, more than 400 km from Santos on Friday, the day after the announcement of the death of the only player to have won three World Cups. (1958, 1962, 1970).
Crowd in black and white
Like him, the majority of people were dressed in the black and white striped jersey of the Santos club under which Pelé scored 1,091 goals in 1,116 games and won six league titles, two Libertadores Cups and two Intercontinental Cups in the 1960s
. I haven't had the opportunity to see him play, but this myth, this legend of 1,000 goals is grandiose
, ”said Cristian Abreu, a 16-year-old teenager from Santos, among the first to arrive at 6:30 a.m.
“
Brazil has lost a football icon.
Pelé made Santos known all over the world, he must be revered
, ”judge Fernandes Jose de Oliveira, 56-year-old driver, who came Monday morning from Sao Paulo, the economic capital of the country located two hours away.
I always told my son that there are three things you can't argue about: the ball is round, the grass is green and Pelé is the tallest.
carlos mota
In the stadium where the crowd is guided by a path of metal barriers, resounded the song "
Mi legado
" ("
My heritage
") interpreted by the mythical number 10: "
I am Pelé thanks to you / I am Pelé, my heritage is for you
”.
Although in the majority, Santos supporters were not the only ones to show their colors.
"
My childhood was marked by what Pelé did for Brazil
," said Carlos Mota, a 59-year-old bank agent, who wears a Fluminense Rio de Janeiro club shirt.
He traveled from the "
Marvelous City
" with his 12-year-old son, Bernardo, wearing the FC Barcelona jersey.
"
It's normal that over time things get a bit forgotten, but I've always told my son that there are three things you can't argue about: the ball is round, the grass is green and Pelé is the greatest
,” he says.
Jerseys from the Sao Paulo Corinthians club and many from the Brazilian national team were visible in the crowd waiting under the blazing sun.
Around the stadium, banners hanging from the windows also pay tribute to the memory of the former striker who, in his 21-year career, played for two clubs: Santos and the New York Cosmos.
"
He conquered the world, he was very charismatic
," said Kianny Sanches, a 29-year-old nurse, leaving the vigil.
She was holding white flowers which she hoped to place at the foot of a statue of Pele outside the stadium.
“
It was moving, sad, but there is also a feeling of gratitude for everything he has done for Brazil, for Brazilian football.
".