MIRROR
Brazil was united on Monday to celebrate the life of Pele – arguably the greatest footballer ever to grace the beautiful game.
The three-time World Cup winner passed away aged 82 in December following a battle with cancer. Outgoing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has declared a national period of mourning, with Pele’s funeral taking place in Santos on Monday and Tuesday.
Dozens of fans waited outside of the Estadio Urbano Caldeira for hours to ensure they could attend Pele’s wake at Santos’ ground. The Brazilian icon’s coffin will lie in state at the stadium until Tuesday, when a procession will take place on the streets of Santos.
As reported by The Mirror’s Andy Lines, some supporters – including Saulo Durate – waited for 14 hours to ensure they could pay their respects to Pele. Thousands of fans have already visited the Estadio Urbano Caldeira ahead of Tuesday’s procession.
Refuse collector Saulo made a two-hour journey from Sao Paulo to say goodbye to Pele. “Pele was Brazil’s greatest player and I wanted to be here to pay tribute to him,” Saulo told Andy. “I never saw him play but my grandad did and it’s the right thing to do.”
Although Saulo, 36, never got the chance to see Pele in action, fellow fan Emilio Carmo did. He said: “I remember it like it was yesterday. It was…
