By Tim Parsons-
Brazil’s outgoing president has declared three days of mourning following the death of football superstar Pele.
The 82-year-old – the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player – died on Thursday after a long battle with cancer.
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A 24-hour wake will be held on Monday in the centre of the field at the stadium of Santos, Pele’s hometown club and where he started began as a teenage boy.
Pele will be transported from the Albert Einstein Hospital to the Vila Belmiro Stadium on Monday and his coffin will then be placed in the centre of the pitch in a unique show of honour to the greatest player of all times.
A public wake will then begin at 10am on Monday morning and fans will be invited to say their goodbyes.
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The ceremony will continue until 10am on Tuesday morning, when a parade will take place through the streets of Santos.
Pele will then be buried at the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica in Santos, where only family will be permitted to attend.
Tributes have been pouring out from all corners ever since the news of his death
PSG star Neymar has paid tribute to Pele with a heartfelt message on social media.
He said: “Before Pelé, 10 was just a number.
“I’ve read this phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete.
“I would say before Pelé football was just a sport. Pelé has changed it all. He turned football into art, into entertainment He gave voice to the poor, to the blacks and especially: He gave visibility to Brazil.
“Soccer and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He’s gone but his magic remains. Pelé is FOREVER!!”
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe were among the modern generation of major stars who hailed the legend in moving and emotional social media posts.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who declared three days of national mourning, paid tribute to a man who “transformed football into art and joy”, while president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is due to take office Sunday, tweeted: “There had never been a number 10 like him.”
Former English Ace, Wayne Rooney, posted a picture of him with Pele with the words: “Rest in peace Pele. Legend.”
He received royalty treatment when traveling abroad with Santos or the national team. His visit to the African country of Nigeria in 1969 reportedly prompted a 48-hour truce in the bloody Biafra war.
International figures including U.S. President Joe Biden and former leader Barack Obama, Brazilian music legends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, and International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach also paid tribute.
“As one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together,” Obama wrote
Former England football star, David Beckham has also paid tribute to the football legend.
He wrote : “It was HIS beautiful game obrigado.”
Born in Tres Coracoes, in the state of Minas Gerais, in 1940, Pele was an incredible story of rags to riches. His family could not afford a football for the legendary player who became the king of the sport and undoubtedly the most gifted player to grace our television screens.
He began playing football using an old sock filled with newspapers, an unbelievable tale of how a extraordinary talent developed from abject poverty to extreme success and riches. His unrivalled skills earned him the right to be considered the king of football.
Pele demonstrated magical genius in the 1962 World Cup against Mexico, beating six Mexicans and the keeper in spectacular fashion, before scoring, showcasing an amazing degree of speed and skill that was the envy of every footballer and aspiring footballer on the planet.
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