Despite the general sadness that invades Brazil due to the recent death of Pelé, the funeral of the legendary player will not take place until next week. The vigil of the Brazilian legend, who won three World Cups, will take place on Monday, January 2, 2023. The reason for the delay is the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as the new president of Brazil. The act of State could not coincide with Pelé’s burial. Lula won the elections and defeated the far-right Jair Bolsonaro in the recently held elections.
The mortal remains of Pelé will leave the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, where he died this past Thursday, in the morning of January 2, in the direction of the Santos stadium, the club where the footballer played and which he wears the name of the city. Santos is about 80 kilometers from Sao Paulo. The football field will be where the open vigil will be, which will be installed in the center of the pitch so that fans can say goodbye from 10am local time.
Authorities and private burial
Apart from the club’s main managers, political authorities and old Brazilian stars, a delegation from FIFA and CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) is also expected to attend the ceremony.
The vigil will last a whole day, 24 hours, from 10 a.m. on Monday until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 3. It will then be when the funeral procession will leave with Pelé’s body that will travel through the main streets of Santos, passing by the house of Doña Celeste, Pelé’s mother, to the Memorial Necrópole Ecuménica vertical cemetery. Burial will be private for the family.
General grief and reactions
Brazil woke up yesterday as a country dejected by the loss of the figure who gave international recognition and its own stamp to its football. The South American giant lives to this day three days of mourning decreed by the outgoing government of Jair Bolsonaro for whom many consider to be the best player in all of history.
“Go with God, my father”, wrote the exporter Edinho, one of his seven children, on the personal account of Instagram, the favorite social network of the family and the channel through which the news of the last ones have been published days of life of the legendary ex-striker. Reactions spread like wildfire from Thursday itself and continued yesterday. Several football federations expressed their condolences and, at the same time, assured that the matches of their respective leagues would have a minute of silence in memory of Pelé.
