The legendary footballer Pele passed away on December 29 at 82 years old after fighting cancer. His funeral drew thousands of fans who paid tribute to him on the streets and at Santos’ stadium in January.
He was buried in a majestic way, with a gold coffin that was placed in the Ecumenical Memorial Cemetery in Santos, Brazil. The cemetery is the tallest in the world, with 14 floors.
On Monday, his fans could visit his mausoleum on the second floor of the cemetery. They were greeted by two golden statues of Pele at the entrance, surrounded by the flags of Brazil and Santos.
Inside, they walked on artificial grass instead of a carpet. The walls were covered with pictures of fans in a stadium, and the sound of cheering was played. The ceiling was painted sky blue.
The most impressive feature was Pele’s gold vault in the middle of the room. It had a cross on top and black carvings on the side that showed his 1000th goal and his famous fist-pump celebration
Pele’s son Edson Cholbi do Nascimento said: “This was made with a lot of love by people who knew him, who lived with him. It has the essence of what he was.”
One of the firsts fan to see it, 44-year-old businessman Ronaldo Rodrigues, said: “It surpassed my expectations. It’s a really beautiful place.”
However, only 60 fans per day can visit the tomb. They have to register on the cemetery’s website beforehand.
Pele was the only player to win three World Cups in his career. He also claimed to have scored 1,283 goals, which would make him the top scorer in football history.
However, Guinness World Records counted 1.279 goals for him, while RSSSF (Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation) counted 778 goals.
