Reuters. Thousands of people gathered Monday in the Brazilian city of Santos to bid farewell to football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, who died at 82 on Thursday from colon cancer.
His wake was being held at the Urbano Caldira Stadium, the home field of Pele's former team Santos, allowing fans to pay their last respects. Among those present were FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and the chief of South America's CONMEBOL football confederation, Alejandro Dominguez.
Fans waited more than three hours to view the casket, with the line at one point stretching some two kilometers.
"He stands for everything for Brazil. Now everyone has gathered here in Santos," said a fan of Pele named Carlos Tavares.
The wake will continue until Tuesday, when Pele will be buried at a private cemetery in Santos, where he is revered as the greatest player of his hometown team, with whom he won two Copa Libertadores titles and two Intercontinental Cups.
Brazil's government plans to rename the port of Santos, the largest in Brazil and Latin America, after the footballer, Sao Paulo state governor Tarcisio de Freitas told media upon arriving at the wake.
Pele's funeral will be held at 10:00 on Jan 3 in a cemetery 600 meters away from the stadium. Only family will attend.
