Pele's funeral: Thousands of people throng the streets of Santos as the Brazilian soccer great Pele is laid to rest.

 

In Santos, the home of his old team, thousands of mourners lined the streets as Pele was laid to rest.

At the club's Urbano Caldeira stadium, Pele had been lying in state for 24 hours so that fans could pay their respects.

On Tuesday, a large crowd of people lined the streets as a fire engine carried his casket to a private family funeral.

Three-time World Cup champion Pele passed away on December 29th at the age of 82.

He has been having treatment for colon cancer since 2021 and was arguably the greatest footballer to ever play the game.

After his passing, the Brazilian government proclaimed three days of national mourning, and the nation's new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, went to Santos to pay his respects.

Pele's coffin was transported on a fire truck through the crowded streets of supporters while draped in the Brazilian flag.

The home of his 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, was also passed by during the procession.

More than 230,000 people, according to Santos FC, attended his 24-hour wake at the Vila Belmiro stadium, where a steady flow of mourners persisted into the night.

A Catholic funeral liturgy will be held before Pele is buried in a 10-story mausoleum that holds the Guinness World Record for being the tallest cemetery on Earth at the Memorial Cemetery in the port city, where the funeral procession will come to a finish.

"He joined all of us," say the fans

Katy Watson, a BBC South America correspondent in Santos

Fans chanted "Pele, 1,000 goals" as they followed the cortege carrying Pele's coffin through Santos.

Numerous individuals were waving large banners and sporting the number 10 t-shirt he made so well-known.

Although it was a day of sadness for the man who the Brazilians referred to as their King, it was also obviously a time to honor him.

Pele was and will always be Brazil's greatest source of pride, and there was pleasure and happiness on the streets.

Deofilo de Freitas was first in line at the stadium on Monday, but he wished to see his idol one more time before his funeral.

Deofilo de Freitas waited in line to meet Pele on Monday and witnessed the parade on Tuesday as he bid farewell.

He stated, "Pele was the Pele of the people; he united all of us. Finding another person like him will be challenging.

He was not just the finest player in the world, but also a wonderful person.

The majority of Pele's club career was spent with Santos FC, who tweeted: "Our immortal King Pele says goodbye at Vila Belmiro, his home, alongside his people."