Picture Credit: Twitter
The mausoleum of the legendary Brazilian footballer Edson Arantes do Nascimento, commonly known as Pelé has been opened to the public. The Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica was inaugurated on Monday, May 15 for up to 60 visitors each day. His son Edinho as well as a number of Pelé's most devoted supporters were present during the opening ceremony. The tomb will be accessible to up to 30 guests each in a shift from 9 am to noon and from 2 pm to 6 pm. To attend, visitors must register on the cemetery's website.
Outside of Sao Paulo in Santos, a tomb on the second story of a vertical cemetery welcomes visitors with two golden statues of Pelé with artificial grass flooring, stadium fan photos on the walls, and an unending soundtrack of cheers as if Pelé was still playing.
The Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica, which was established in 1991, is located around 700m from Santos' Vila Belmiro Stadium, where Pelé rose to fame. Pelé's father Joo Ramos do Nascimento (Dondinho) and brother Jair are also put to rest there.
Talking about Pele, the legend lost his fight with colon cancer on December 29 at the age of 82. In football history, he is still the only player to have lifted three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970). During his more than two-decade career with Santos (1956–1974), the New York Cosmos (1975–77), and the Brazilian national team, he set a world record of 1,281 goals.
