Thousands line streets of Santos as Pele is laid to rest

Thousands line streets of Santos as Pele is laid to rest

By Rashika Kumar
04/01/2023
Photo:SportsMax

Thousands of mourners lined the streets as Brazilian football icon Pele was laid to rest in Santos, the city of his former club.

Pele had been lying in state for 24 hours in the centre of the pitch at the club's Urbano Caldeira stadium for the public to pay their respects.

People crowded the streets as his coffin was carried on a fire truck to a private family funeral.

Pele - a three-time World Cup winner - died at the age of 82 on 29 December.

Arguably the world's greatest ever footballer, he had been receiving treatment for colon cancer since 2021.

Brazil's government declared three days of national mourning after his death, and the country's new president - Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - travelled to Santos to pay his respects.

Covered with a Brazilian flag, Pele's coffin was carried on a fire truck through the packed roads of fans.

The procession also passed by the house where his 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, still lives.

Santos FC says more than 230,000 people had attended his 24-hour wake in the Vila Belmiro stadium, where a steady stream of mourners continued through the night.

The funeral cortège will end at the port city's Memorial Cemetery, where a Catholic funeral service will be held before Pele is interred in a 10-storey mausoleum that holds the Guinness World Record as the tallest cemetery on Earth.

Source: BBC Sports

FNRL
FEATURE NEWS
Emotional Wainiqolo dedicates Flying Fijians win to late father, mother and wife
An emotional Jiuta Wainiqolo has dedicated the Fiji Water Flying Fijians 29-14 win over Scotland, to his late father. Wainiqolo also dedicated it t...
3 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
Savea calls for clinical execution as All Blacks prepare for second Test against France
Stand-in All Blacks captain Ardie Savea says his side needs to be more clinical and play in the right areas of the field when they take on France in ...
6 hours ago

Nadi set to celebrate Bula Festival next week with culture, charity and youth empowerment
Nadi is looking forward to the Bula Festival next week, with a focus on showcasing Fijian culture, providing entertainment, and raising funds for ...
6 hours ago

Fiji Museum receives 130 artifacts from the late David Gilmour’s collection
130 artifacts of 108 photographs, 16 traditional war clubs and 6 tabua have been donated by the Wakaya Perfection Trustees to the Fiji ...
6 hours ago

Fiji is stronger when everyone stands together - SODELPA
In the wake of the recent attack on the Shiv Mandir in Samabula, members of the SODELPA Party have visited the temple to personally express their ...
6 hours ago

Arya Pratinidhi Sabha calls for stronger protection of places of worship
The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji has also strongly condemned the recent shameful and despicable act of sacrilege at the Samabula Shiv Temple and is ...
7 hours ago



fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Latest Videos

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Professor Prasad on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan
The show will focus on the 2025/2026 National Budget.
4 days ago

Tui Nayau and Tui Lau Installation
The ceremony for the installation of the Tui Nayau Sau ni Vanua o Lau will be held tomorrow, while the installation ceremony of the Tui Lau will be held in Tubou on Thursday.
6 days ago

CFL 40th Birthday
CFL’s 40th Anniversary celebrations to culminate with free concert at Albert Park on ...
8 days ago

TOP