Lrazil is mourning one of its most illustrious representatives. From a window in his humble home, Onofra Alves Costa Rovai, 91, sees the FC Santos stadium where “King” Pelé, who died Thursday, December 29 at the age of 82, shone. She remembers a “wonderful” man who talked “about everything” to “everyone”. “Pelé was like that, simple, he talked to everyone, he talked about everything, he was wonderful”, remembers this petite woman with white hair gathered in a bun.
“He passed this door and there we were talking about football”, she continues, pointing to the main entrance of the small stadium in the city of Santos, where the eternal number 10 shone from 1956 to 1974, scoring with his club 1 091 goals in 1,116 matches and winning 45 titles, according to the latter.
Proudly sporting a white and black striped jersey from the city club, she remembers the time when her mother was still alive: “My mother, who was already quite old, loved Pelé very much”, she testified to the the day after Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, died in Sao Paulo from cancer. “A player…my God, he was born for that!” she exclaims.
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A 24-hour wake on Monday
A few dozen tourists and fans crowded Friday at midday in a light rain around the 16,000-seat Vila Belmiro stadium. A funeral wake, open to the public, will be held there Monday for 24 hours. The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday in the intimacy of the family, after a procession following the coffin in the streets of this port city which has decreed a mourning of seven days.
Near the stadium where Pelé played 18 of his 21 years of professional football, Caroline Fornari, a housewife, paid tribute to the man who made Brazilians “the pride”. “Since I was very young, I heard my father, who was his age, talking about him,” she told Agence France Presse, “it’s very sad.” Pelé is the only player in history to have won three editions of the World Cup (1958, 1962, 1970).
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Residents had hung flags in the colors of the club from their windows or balconies, bringing color to a gray and cloudy day. A few bouquets of flowers, including one surrounded by a banner that read “Eternal Pelé”, had been placed at the foot of a statue of Pelé.
“Edson is dead, but Pelé is not dying. He is eternal”
“Pelé’s death was very sad for me. Although I didn’t see him play, I heard my father, my grandparents, talking about him. From what I saw in some images of him playing, he was the best, unique, ”says Anaur Aparecido Deolindo, a 57-year-old retiree. As soon as the news broke of Pelé’s death, he knew he had to go pay his respects at one of the courts where he showed the world his incredible footwork.
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“It’s like he’s part of my family, because he’s a boy who came here, grew up here and conquered the world. Today he is back where he deserves to be, in the arms of God,” he said. “Edson is dead, but Pelé is not dying. He is eternal”.
Accompanied by friends, Jonas Augusto dos Santos, a 28-year-old computer analyst, visits the surroundings of the stadium for the first time. “For a long time, the life of Brazilians has not been easy, that’s why we are always looking for an idol. Even if he is dead, Pelé will not cease to be one”, assures the young man. “Pelé’s body is gone, but I’m sure his soul is around the stadium and in the hearts of all Brazilians,” he said. Dressed in an FC Santos jersey, Luiz Santos said he expected a large crowd in the neighborhood on Monday and Tuesday. “It will be crowded (…) many people will come, from here or from Sao Paulo”, estimates the teacher.