In an official statement, Santos Futebol Clube announced that Pelé’s wake will take place on Monday, January 2, at the club’s headquarters where the King of Football played his entire professional career.
The body of the greatest football player of all time will be laid in state at the Estádio Urbano Caldeira, Vila Belmiro, where he captivated the world.
The body will be transported from Hospital Albert Einstein directly to the stadium in the early hours of Monday (2), and the coffin will be positioned at the center of the pitch. The public wake is expected to begin at 10 AM.
Everyone wishing to bid farewell to the King of Football will enter through gates 2 and 3, exiting through gates 7 and 8. Authorities will have access through gate 10.
The ceremony will continue until 10 AM on Tuesday (3), when a procession will take place through the streets of Santos, passing by Canal 6, where Pelé’s mother, Dona Celeste, lives, and proceeding to the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica for the burial, which will be reserved for family members.
The press will have access through gate 20 and prior accreditation will be required via email, with the rules provided on the club’s official website. Only professionals carrying a functional badge from their media company will be allowed entry.