The Brazilian coastal town of Santos, where sports giant Pele has become synonymous with football excellence during the club’s illustrious career, bid goodbye to its hero with a 24-hour wake-up call.The mourners lined up to see Pele’s body in an open coffin in the middle of the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of Santos Football Club. Pelé died on Thursday at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was one of the first to attend the ceremony and said he would ask each country to name a stadium after Pele, the only person to have won the World Cup three times as a World Cup winner. “Pele is eternal,” Infantino said.