A new Champion will be crowned at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club on Thursday
sports1 day ago
The mausoleum built for the golden casket of Pele was opened for visitors on Monday.
On the second floor of a vertical cemetery in Santos, outside Sao Paulo, the mausoleum welcomes fans with two golden statues of Pele; the floor is artificial grass; the walls are images of fans in a stadium; and there's an endless soundtrack of cheers, as if Pele was still playing.
The ceiling above the casket of the three-time World Cup champion is blue.
Pele was laid to rest here on January 3, five days after he died at age 82 of colon cancer.
“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,” an emotional Edson Cholbi do Nascimento, one of Pele’s sons, said after a small ceremony with family and friends.
The mausoleum was planned by the owner of the cemetery, Pepe Alstut, who died in 2018.
Alstut hoped the mausoleum would be on the ninth floor, overseeing the Santos club's Vila Belmiro Stadium, where Pele starred for 18 years.
His family, instead, buried him on the second floor so fans could have better access.
“I am shaking. The energy of this place is surreal,” said Erica Nascimento, a tearful 42-year-old economist.
Former footballer Roberto Milano, 56, was also moved.
“He is part of my life," Milano said. "As we grow old we need to follow the best role models. Maybe he was the biggest of them all of these role models.”
Fans willing to attend must book a time on the Memorial cemetery website.
Pele led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He is the only player to win it three times.
Last month, a Brazilian dictionary added “Pele” as an adjective to use when describing someone who is “exceptional, incomparable, unique.”
The announcement by the Michaelis dictionary was part of a campaign that gathered more than 125,000 signatures to honour the late football great’s impact.
ALSO READ:
A new Champion will be crowned at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club on Thursday
sports1 day ago
At the Jumeirah Golf Estates, Bertoche transformed the DP World Tour Championship's atmosphere into art
sports1 day ago
Host UAE’s Rayan Ahmed and Ahmad Skaik shine in second place as Adam Bresnusets the pace at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club in Ajman
sports1 day ago
The Emirati golf icon recalls the emotional moment that brought back memories of a lifelong friendship with the Spanish great
sports2 days ago
Missed opportunities: 'The course was there for the taking If only my putting had been better,” admits the Dubai-born golfer
sports2 days ago
The top two finishers advance directly to the World Cup whereas those finishing in third and fourth in the group will go through further qualifying
sports2 days ago
Over 80 Players from 13 Nations Set to Compete in This Year’s Championships
sports2 days ago
Welshman Dion Regan sets the pace with five-under 65 to lead rivals at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club
sports2 days ago