The tomb opened to the public on Monday and attempts to recreate the atmosphere the football legend inspired when he was on the pitch.
ADVERTISEMENTThe mausoleum built for the golden casket of football hero Pelé opened to visitors on Monday in the Brazilian coastal city of Santos, outside São Paulo.
Regarded by many as the greatest football player of all time, 'O Rei' was laid to rest overlooking the Vila Belmiro stadium where he played for 18 years.
His final resting ground is covered in artificial grass, surrounded by images of fans on the stands of a stadium, and the endless sounds of cheering is heard playing from speakers, as if Pelé himself were still alive.
“The creation was inspired by love and by him. We have all this stadium context, with people all around, we have this entrance as people were arriving in the field, what he did endless times,” said one of Pele’s sons, Edson Cholbi Nascimento, known as Edinho.
The mausoleum was designed by the owner of the cemetery where it lies, Pepe Alstut, a close friend of Pelé's.
Alstut died in 2018 and initially hoped the mausoleum would be on one of the top floors of the building. But instead, Pelé's familly buried him on the second floor so fans could have better access to his final resting place.
Fans wanting to attend must register on the cemetery's website for visitation between Mondays and Fridays.
"He was part of my life day to day," said former footballer Roberto Milano. "We grow old trying to follow role models, and he was perhaps the biggest of these role models.”
The three-time World Cup champion died of colon cancer on 29 December 2022 at age 82.
