New Telegraph

Brazil lights up for King Pele

Wake on Monday, street parade and burial Tuesday

Brazil on Friday woke up to its first day without footballing legend Pele. “The King”, who won three World Cups and was widely considered the greatest footballer of all time, died at the age of 82 in Sao Paulo on Thursday. Overnight, Pele’s face shone on buildings across the South American nation and landmarks were lit up in his memory.

Fans took to the streets dressed in his iconic number 10 shirt. Brazil’s government has declared three days of national mourning. Fans started gathering outside Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital on Thursday afternoon when they heard news of Pele’s death. Outside, a banner read ” “. Pele had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer since 2021. Knowing his condition was worsening, Brazilians had spent weeks reflecting on his life and legacy.

The hospital issued a statement confirming his death from multiple organ failure connected to his cancer. But in a reflection of his status, the hospital added it shared the suffering felt by the family and everyone over the loss of “our beloved King of football”.

One man, standing outside the FIESP building in Sao Paulo as it displayed a colourful tribute, spoke of the intensity of feeling for Pele. “It is indescribable to say at this moment what we are going through here; the loss,” Widisley Guimaraes told Reuters news agency. Tributes have poured in for the late footballer, including from Brazil forward Neymar, who said: “Before Pele, football was only a sport.”

“Pele changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to black people.” Pele’s wake will be held on Monday at the Santos Football club – for many years, his home stadium. The following day,his coffin will be carried through the streets of his coastal hometown Santos, before a private burial.

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