Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Mar 23, 2023

'Thank you, King': Brazil lights up in honour of Pelé

'Thank you, King': Brazil lights up in honour of Pelé

Brazil has woken up to its first day without footballing legend Pelé.

"The King", who won three World Cups and was widely considered the greatest footballer of all time, died at the age of 82 in São Paulo on Thursday.

Overnight, Pelé's face shone on buildings across the South American nation and landmarks were lit up in his memory. Fans took to the streets dressed in his iconic number 10 shirt.

Brazil's government has declared three days of national mourning.

The front pages in Brazil were all talking about Pelé on Friday. One read "Pelé died, if indeed Pelé can die", because for Brazilians, he is their eternal King.

The last time national mourning was declared was when Queen Elizabeth II died. Lots of parallels have been drawn between Pelé and royalty - he was the closest Brazil had.

Supporters started gathering outside São Paulo's Albert Einstein hospital the previous afternoon when they heard news of Pele's death.

Pelé had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer since 2021. Knowing his condition was worsening, Brazilians had spent weeks reflecting on his life and legacy.

Many feel relieved his suffering is over - but he is an iconic sportsman who will be dearly missed.

The hospital issued a statement confirming his death from multiple organ failure connected to his cancer.

But in a reflection of his status, the hospital added it shared the suffering felt by the family and everyone over the loss of "our beloved King of football".

One man, standing outside the Fiesp building in São Paulo as it displayed a colourful tribute, spoke of the intensity of feeling for Pelé.

"It is indescribable to say at this moment what we are going through here; the loss," Widisley Guimarães told Reuters news agency.

At São Paulo's Museum of Football, an exhibition was erected overnight to promote Brazil's beloved King, even putting on display the football shirt he wore in 1970 when he scored the first goal against Italy and Brazil ultimately won. That was his third World Cup title, cementing his status as footballing legend.

"For us, he's a national symbol who turned into an international symbol, who took our country to all corners of the world," said Romulo Rezende Dias, who had come to see the display with his wife and three children.

"Brazil may not have a monarchy, but in football we have our King."


Andres Moreno Castillo Junior is among Pelé's admirers

Andres Moreno Castillo Junior, whose father founded one of the biggest supporters' clubs for Corinthians, a rival to Pelé's Santos, said that whenever the late footballer was on the pitch, the opposition almost always lost.

"Pelé and his legacy will be eternal. With the football he achieved in his era, imagine what he could have done with today's technology."

Tributes have poured in for him, including from Brazil forward Neymar, who said: "Before Pelé, football was only a sport.

"Pelé changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to black people."

France striker and Neymar's Paris St-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappé added "his legacy will never be forgotten".

Pelé scored a world record of 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country.

The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pelé was named Fifa's Player of the Century in 2000.

But he was a cultural icon, too.

As a black man, Pelé rose to the status of national treasure in a country with a deep history of slavery and legacy of segregation that persists.

He regularly faced monkey chants on the pitch and was called several racist nicknames. But Pelé once said that if he had stopped every game after a monkey taunt, he would have had to stop them all.

Pelé was key to carving out space and recognition for black people in Brazilian football, his biographer Angelica Basthi has said, but he was never directly involved in the fight against racism.

While national mourning will last for three days, São Paulo state authorities have said their period of mourning will go on for a week. But really, Brazilians will mourn for much longer.

Pelé's wake will be held on Monday at the Santos Football club - for many years, his home stadium.

The following day, his coffin will be carried through the streets of the coastal city of Santos, before a private burial.

This weekend was expected to be momentous in Brazil as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - whose swearing in takes place on Sunday - returns to the presidency, 20 years after the start of his first term in office.

Instead, Brazilians will be paying tribute to a man who transcended politics - a man who represented this entire footballing nation.

The Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro - where Pelé scored the 1,000th goal of his career - was lit in gold in tribute

An image of Pelé was displayed on the facade of a shopping centre in São Paulo with the caption: "Thank you, King"

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro was illuminated in the colours of the Brazilian flag

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
Close
0:00
0:00
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
I have a dream, MLK inspiring speech
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Aretha Franklin, Marvis Staples - Oh Happy Day
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
BVI Freedom Song
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Billy Preston - You Can't Beat God Giving (Live)
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
VIRGIN ISLANDS REGGAE CARIBBEAN RIDDIMZ
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Oh Happy Day Edwin Hawkins - Anthony Brown w FBCG Combined Choir
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
'Stand by Me' performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
National Anthem of the British Virgin Islands - Oh, Beautiful Virgin
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
Hello Dolly
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
for KING & COUNTRY - Amen (Reborn) [feat. Lecrae & The WRLDFMS Tony Wi
Nashville police officer, and a female driver shooting one another
Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Yes He Can
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
A brief banking situation report
Unforgettable
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
Touch The Hem Of His Garment
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
The Lord's Prayer
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
THE GOD MOVEMENT...BEAUTIFUL BVI
Good news: The U.S. government is now guaranteeing all deposits, held by, Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds are available as of today
Siyahamba
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
Ray Charles And The Voices Of Jubilaton, Oh, Happy Day
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
Ramblin' Rose
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Protoje - Who Knows ft. Chronixx
A Mississippian man, who was once considered a “ticking time bomb,” has lost a whopping 165 kilograms! What motivated this incredible transformation?
Pressure - Virgin Islands Nice
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
Phil Wickham - House Of The Lord
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
My God Is Real (Yes, God Is Real)
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
The Lion King Circle of Life by LEBO M. — LIVE at the HAVASI Symphonic
Fitness scam
Louis Armstrong - When The Saints Go Marching In
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Kanye West Sunday Service - hallelujah, salvation, and glory
A primitive judge in Australia sparked outrage when he told a breastfeeding woman to leave his courtroom for being “a distraction"
Jonathan Nelson - I Believe (Island Medley
Barcelona is feeling the heat as they face corruption charges over payments to former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira
From The Virgin Islands Sqad Up
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Common, John Legend - Glory
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell - If I Ain't Got You
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
I have a dream, MLK inspiring speech
Old clip of Bill Gates saying Ukraine is a big, fat, corrupt sinkhole is going viral
Aretha Franklin, Marvis Staples - Oh Happy Day
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
BVI Freedom Song
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
Billy Preston - You Can't Beat God Giving (Live)
JP Morgan Becomes First Bank to Predict UK Will Avoid Recession
VIRGIN ISLANDS REGGAE CARIBBEAN RIDDIMZ
JP Morgan Becomes First Bank to Predict UK Will Avoid Recession
Oh Happy Day Edwin Hawkins - Anthony Brown w FBCG Combined Choir
How do stolen goods end up on Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace?
'Stand by Me' performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
National Anthem of the British Virgin Islands - Oh, Beautiful Virgin
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Hello Dolly
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
for KING & COUNTRY - Amen (Reborn) [feat. Lecrae & The WRLDFMS Tony Wi
×