Brazilians say goodbye to Pelé with a 24-hour wake and a procession of his coffin

This was the reception of Pelé's coffin at the Santos stadium 1:02

(CNN) --

Brazilians will pay their final respects to the great king of soccer, Pele, with a 24-hour public wake, which begins Monday at the Estadio Urbano Caldeira, the home of his former soccer club Santos.

This Tuesday, a funeral procession will carry Pelé's coffin through the streets of the city of Santos, even passing through the street where Pelé's mother, Celeste Arantes, 100, lives.

The procession will continue to Pelé's final resting place, the Necrópole Ecumênica Memorial Cemetery, where a private funeral will be held for the relatives.

The hearse carrying Pelé's coffin was greeted with fireworks after leaving the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, where the three-time World Cup winner died of multiple organ failure due to the progression of colon cancer on 30 from December.

The hearse was under a heavy police escort as it headed for the stadium, where his coffin will be placed in the middle of the field.

advertising

Fans had already begun to fill the streets in the early hours of Monday morning, many carrying flags or banners with 'O Rei' messages.

"Pelé, you are eternal," said one on the side of the road.

• Pelé dies at the age of 82: the king of football has left

  
  

• Who was Pelé and what did he do?

  This was the career of the king of football

Pelé's coffin will be placed in the center of the field of the Santos stadium.

(Credit: MIGUEL SCHINCARIOL/AFP/AFP via Getty Images)

For more than 60 years, the name Pelé has been synonymous with soccer.

He played in four World Cups and is the only player in history to win three, but his legacy stretched far beyond his trophy and his remarkable scoring record.

“I was born to play soccer, just like Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint,” Pelé said.

Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history and Brazil celebrated three days of national mourning after his death.

Tributes have poured in from sports stars, politicians and musicians around the world to a man who transcended his sport and became a global icon.

Pele