Brazilian president Lula joins the mourners at wake for football icon Pelé
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid his last respects on Tuesday to Pelé during a wake for the former Brazil international on the pitch at FC Santos where the player rose to prominence as a teenager in the late 1950s. Lula took office on Sunday in a ceremony that began with a minute's silence for the former striker who died on 29 December from cancer.
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Less than 48 hours later inside the Vila Belmiro stadium, a visibly moved Lula and First Lady Rosangela da Silva paused before Pelé's coffin and embraced Marcia Cibele Aoki - Pelé's widow - and other family members.
The newly inaugurated president was among 230,000 people who came from across Brazil to say farewell during the 24-hours that the 82-year-old's body lay in state.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in 1940 in Três Corações in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, he was nicknamed Pelé during his childhood.
Barely out of it, he made his professional debut with Santos at 15.
Two years later at the 1958 World Cup, he announced his talent with displays that helped Brazil to their first world title. He was part of the squad that retained the crown in 1962.
The 'King'
Vicous fouling forced him to hobble out injured at the 1966 tournament. But he returned in spectacular splendour in the blazing heat of Mexico in 1970.
By now dubbed 'The King', he was the epicentre of an imperious Brazil side that heaped bravura upon extravagance in their sweep to the final against Italy.
In the showdown for the treasure at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Pelé headed in Brazil's opener - Brazil's 100th goal at World Cup tournaments - he set up their third and with savage nonchalance laid on the pass for Carlos Alberto's strike to make it 4-1.
The performances are widely considered the crystallisation of the beautiful game.
Such rich memories allied to the stark facts - 1,283 career goals for Santos, Brazil and New York Cosmos - made Pelé into a global icon.
And the people came in their thousands to hail the king.
A line stretching two kilometres formed on Monday outside the stadium in preparation to view Pelé's body.
Wearing a black Santos jersey, Pedro Stolber and his wife, Clady, were among the first in the queue.
The couple set off from their home 830 kilometres away in the southern state of Parana the day after Pele's death last Thursday.
"There are no words to describe it. He meant everything to football," said Pedro, a 71-year-old medical engineering technician.
"It's very moving to see everyone paying tribute to him. He's the king," added his 67-year-old wife.
Most fans were wearing the black-and-white colours of Santos, which Pelé made famous.
The rest sported the shirt of the Brazil national team with which Pelé won an unmatched three World Cup winners medals.
A myth, an icon
"I was never able to see him play, but he's the legend of the thousand goals," said 16-year-old Cristian Abreu. "He's a myth, he's huge to me."
Fernandes Jose de Oliveira, a 56-year-old driver, made the 75-kilometre trip from Sao Paulo on his own to pay homage.
"Brazil has lost a football icon," he said. "Pelé put us on the map. He made Santos famous worldwide. We owe him our reverence."
The funeral procession through Santos was scheduled to go past the house of Pelé's mother, 100 year-old Celeste Arantes. It will end at Santos's Memorial Cemetery, where a funeral service will be held before Pelée is interred in a mausoleum.
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