In a fitting farewell, the stadium where Brazilian soccer great Pelé played some of the best matches of his career will also hold his funeral on Monday and Tuesday. Santos, the club where Pelé played in Brazil, said in a statement the public will be able to pay their final respects at Vila Belmiro Stadium, outside Sao Paulo.Santos said the coffin carrying the three-time World Cup champion will leave Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo early Monday morning and will be placed in the center circle of the field.
Visitation will start Monday at 10 a.m. and finish the next day at the same time.Doctors had detected a tumor on his colon in September this year, following which Pele was frequently in and out of the hospital. During his last visit Pele was also diagnosed with a respiratory infection.Soon after the news broke out wishes and tributes started pouring on social media from footballing greats, which included the likes of modern day superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar.