Brazil is observing three days of mourning for King Pelé

Published by BBNTEAM at December 31, 2022

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Posted: Saturday, December 31, 2022. 2:38 pm CST.

Photo Courtesy: Pelé

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Brazil is observing three days of mourning from Friday to Sunday in honour of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, who died on Thursday after a battle with colon cancer.

Considered by many the greatest footballer ever, ‘O Rei’ Pelé was a national hero in Brazil after becoming the only player to win three World Cups in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He scored 12 goals in the 14 matches he played in the World Cup. Overall, Pelé is said to have scored 1281 or 1283 goals, depending on which account you go by, though the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) only recognized 762 as official goals. Such was his popularity that the Brazilian government declared him an ‘official national treasure’ so that he could not be transferred to foreign teams though there was no shortage of suitors. After retiring as a player in Brazil, in 1975, Pelé signed for the New York Cosmos in the United States to promote football in that country.

After his death on Thursday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree declaring the period of mourning on Friday.

Pelé’s funeral will last two days, January 2 and 3. His body will lie in state at the Santos Stadium in the port city of Santos which a local representative wants renamed Santos Pelé. He will be buried at the Memorial Necrópile Ecuménica Cemetery in Santos.

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