By Guardian
04 January 2023 |

World football bid him farewell

The casket bearing the body of the late Brazil football legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele, was draped in the Brazilian flag, as the body was moved round major streets before his burial yesterday in Sao Paulo.

The casket left Santos’ stadium on a fire engine for the procession with thousands of mourners lining the streets.

Pele was laid in the vault at the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica – just half a mile away from the stadium that made him famous.

Pele spent a long time thinking about where he wanted to be buried deciding on his final resting place by paying homage to his father, Dodinho, who died in 1996, wearing the No 9 shirt.

In a mark of respect to his father, Pele chose to be buried on the ninth floor of the world’s tallest, vertical cemetery.




His fans believe that this resting place will mean Pele can watch over his favourite football pitch for eternity.

The vertical cemetery was built in 1983, and has more than 14,000 vaults. It has a tropical garden, restaurant and even a classic car museum.

The football world paid also their respects to the legendary forward in Sao Paulo.

Pele, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970, died at the age of 82 in December.

Tributes flooded in from the footballing community and beyond for a man widely considered to be the best – to ever play the game.

Former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose term came to an end at the turn of the year, declared three days of national mourning after Pele’s passing.

A number of footballers past and present have shared tributes on social media, while a funeral reception and parade through Sao Paulo allowed many to paid their respects in person.

Streets were closed for the procession, which took Pele from the Urbano Caldeira stadium to the Santos’ Memorial Cemetery in Santos, Sao Paulo state.


Source: https://guardian.ng/sport/pele-buried-on-ninth-floor-of-worlds-tallest-vertical-cemetery/

The legendary football Orisha [Deity in Yoruba language] has ended his earthly cycle.

=> https://punchng.com/pele-millions-bid-football-orisha-farewell/


The vertical cemetery was built in 1983, and has more than 14,000 vaults. It has a tropical garden, restaurant and even a classic car museum. Pelé chose to be buried in the Ecumenical Necropolis Memorial back in 2003.


=> https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/pele-buried-cemetery-funeral-santos-28862450?int_source=mantis_rec_rhc_network&int_medium=web&int_campaign=more_like_this_rhc

=> https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/pele-worlds-tallest-cemetery


That vertical cemetry will definately be a Mecca for the international community because of Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
Hopefully I'll make it there this year, and Salvador da Bahia.




Pele's goals were truly legendary coupled with the free-flowing samba like moves while on the football pitch. I remember the Brazilian World Cup soccer stars from the early 1980s that I used to watch back then such as Socrates, Zico, Falcao and more as well.

Props to them all for making the game look so beautiful.

Soccer Legend Pelé Buried at Cemetery in Brazilian City He Made Famous



BY MAURICIO SAVARESE/AP UPDATED: JANUARY 3, 2023 1:22 PM EST | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: JANUARY 2, 2023 9:43 AM EST
SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Pelé was buried in his final resting place Tuesday as millions of fans in Brazil and around the world mourned the sports legend.

Newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paid his respects at Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Pelé played for most of his career.

Pelé was being laid to rest in the city where he grew up, became famous, and helped make into a global capital of his sport. Mass was held at the Vila Belmiro stadium before the black casket was driven through the streets of the city of Santos in a firetruck.

It was taken into the cemetery as bands played the Santos team’s official song, and a Catholic hymn. Before the golden-wrapped casket arrived, attendees sang samba songs that Pelé had liked.

Some legends of Pelé’s sport weren’t there.

“Where’s Ronaldo Nazario? Where’s Kaká, where’s Neymar?” asked Claudionor Alves, 67, who works at a bakery next to the stadium. “Do they think they will be remembered like Pelé will? These guys didn’t want to stop their vacations, that’s the problem.”


Another notable absentee was Jair Bolsonaro, whose term as president ended Dec. 31. A day before, he departed capital Brasilia on a flight to Florida, shirking the ceremonial duty of passing the presidential sash to Lula. Bolsonaro is staying in a condominium complex outside Orlando and has been filmed speaking to neighbors.

Geovana Sarmento, 17, waited in the three-hour line to view his body as it lay in repose. She came with her father, who was wearing a Brazil shirt with Pelé’s name.

“I am not a Santos fan, neither is my father. But this guy invented Brazil’s national team. He made Santos stronger, he made it big, how could you not respect him? He is one of the greatest people ever, we needed to honor him,” she said.

Caio Zalke, 35, an engineer, wore a Brazil shirt as he waited in line. “Pelé is the most important Brazilian of all time. He made the sport important for Brazil and he made Brazil important for the world,” he said.

In the 1960s and 70s, Pelé was perhaps the world’s most famous athlete. He met presidents and queens, and in Nigeria a civil war was put on hold to watch him play. Many Brazilians credit him with putting the country on the world stage for the first time.


Rows of shirts with Pelé’s number 10 were placed behind one of the goals, waving in the city’s summer winds. A section of the stands was filling up with bouquets of flowers placed by mourners and sent by clubs and star players — Neymar and Ronaldo among them — from around the world as loudspeakers played a song named “Eu sou Pelé” (“I am Pelé”) that was recorded by the Brazilian himself.

The crowd was mostly local, although some came from far away. Many mourners were too young ever to have seen Pelé play. The mood was light, as people filtered out of the stadium to local bars, wearing Santos FC and Brazil shirts.

Claudio Carrança, 32, a salesman, said: “I never saw him play, but loving Pelé is a tradition that goes from father to son in Santos. I learned his history, saw his goals, and I see how Santos FC is important because he is important. I know some Santos fans have children supporting other teams. But that’s just because they never saw Pelé in action. If they had, they would feel this gratitude I feel now.”

Among those at the stadium was Pelé’s best friend Manoel Maria, also a former Santos player.


“If I had all the wealth in the world I would never be able to repay what this man did for me and my family,” Maria said. “He was as great a man as he was as a player; the best of all time. His legacy will outlive us all. And that can be seen in this long line with people of all ages here.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino told journalists that every country should name a stadium after Pelé.

“I am here with a lot of emotion, sadness, but also with a smile because he gave us so many smiles,” Infantino said. “As FIFA, we will pay a tribute to the ‘King’ and we ask the whole world to observe a minute of silence.”

Another fan and friend in line was Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes.

“It is a very sad moment, but we are now seeing the real meaning of this legendary player to our country,” Mendes told journalists. “My office has shirts signed by Pelé, a picture of him as a goalkeeper, also signed by him. DVDs, photos, a big collection of him.”

Pelé had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the cancer.


Pelé led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorers with 77 goals. Neymar tied Pelé’s record during this year’s World Cup in Qatar.


=> https://time.com/6243918/pele-funeral-brazil/


Pele and his surviving 100-year-old-mother in the picture below.

AlphaTaikun:
The legendary football Orisha [Deity in Yoruba language] has ended his earthly cycle.

=> https://punchng.com/pele-millions-bid-football-orisha-farewell/


The vertical cemetery was built in 1983, and has more than 14,000 vaults. It has a tropical garden, restaurant and even a classic car museum. Pelé chose to be buried in the Ecumenical Necropolis Memorial back in 2003.


=> https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/pele-buried-cemetery-funeral-santos-28862450?int_source=mantis_rec_rhc_network&int_medium=web&int_campaign=more_like_this_rhc

=> https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/pele-worlds-tallest-cemetery


That vertical cemetry will definately be a Mecca for the international community because of Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
Hopefully I'll make it there this year, and Salvador da Bahia.




Pele's goals were truly legendary coupled with the free-flowing samba like moves while on the football pitch. I remember the Brazilian World Cup soccer stars from the early 1980s that I used to watch back then such as Socrates, Zico, Falcao and more as well.

Props to them all for making the game look so beautiful.

The fantastic use of space here for the vertical cemetry [Ecumenical Necropolis Memorial] is awesome! Should be adopted by cities or places that have space constraints.