Pele funeral procession: Brazilians bid farewell to soccer legend as casket arrives at cemetery

The coffin of soccer legend Pelé left the pitch at Santos' Vila Belmiro Stadium on Tuesday, before a private burial.

Crowds standing near the coffin clapped as uniformed officers carried it to a vehicle, following a 24-hour wake.

Fans gathered outside the Vila Belmiro stadium, where Pelé started playing as a teenager.

The coffin passed through the streets of Santos, including through the neighbourhood where his 100-year-old mother lives, and ending at the Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento — Pelé's given name — was born in 1940 in the small country town of Tres Coracoes, but moved to Santos in 1956 and lived there for most of his life.

Pelé died on Dec. 29 at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer.

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