Thousands of people gathered to pay their final respects to Brazil legend Pelé, as a funeral procession carrying his coffin passed through the streets of Santos.
Pelé’s coffin, which was covered with a Brazilian flag, was moved on a fire engine from Vila Belmiro stadium, where it had been lying in state, through the streets, to the cemetery where he was later buried in a private ceremony.
Mourners lined the streets to say goodbye, with many wearing or holding up Santos shirts bearing Pelé’s name.
Pelé – a three-time World Cup winner – died at the age of 82 on 29 December.
Arguably the world’s greatest ever footballer, he had been receiving treatment for colon cancer since 2021.
Brazil’s government declared three days of national mourning after his death, and the country’s new president – Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – travelled to Santos to pay his respects.
The procession also passed by the house where his 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, still lives.
Brazil’s final day with its icon and inspiration.
Pele’s last journey from the stadium to burial.
Report @SkyNews on the funeral procession through Santos pic.twitter.com/VtIFxJSi5p
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) January 3, 2023
Santos FC said more than 230,000 people had attended his 24-hour wake in the Vila Belmiro stadium, where a steady stream of mourners continued through the night.
The funeral cortege ended at the port city’s Memorial Cemetery, where a Catholic funeral service was held before Pele was interred in a 10-storey mausoleum that holds the Guinness World Record as the tallest cemetery on Earth.