Pele’s wake ceremony, in pictures: FIFA president Infantino, family and fans pay respect to Brazil legend before funeral.

Brazil begins paying final respects to football giant Pelé.

An emotional Brazil began paying its final respects Monday to football legend Pele with a wake at the stadium where he first took the world’s breath away with his dazzling skill

Hundreds of fans lined up Monday morning to file through the Vila Belmiro, home to Pele’s longtime club, Santos, where the coffin bearing the remains of O Rei (The King) was displayed in the center of the field.

Pele, a three-time World Cup winner widely considered the greatest footballer of all time, died Thursday at the age of 82 after a long battle with cancer.

Carlos Mota and his 12-year-old son Bernardo traveled more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Rio de Janeiro to Santos, a southeastern port city in Sao Paulo state, to pay tribute to their late hero.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Alejandro Dominguez, head of the South American football confederation Conmebol, were among the first to pay their respects at the open coffin, which was displayed under an awning and surrounded by bouquets of white flowers.

Known as Vila Belmiro after the neighborhood where it is located, the black-and-white stadium has a capacity of 16,000 people.

In the stands, three giant flags were displayed, one with an image of Pele sporting his famous number 10 on his jersey.

Another bore the message “Long live the king”; the third said simply, “Pele 82 years.”

Tuesday’s funeral procession will pass by the house of Pele’s mother, 100-year-old Celeste Arantes, who is still alive but unconscious and unaware that her son has died, according to family.

The procession will end at a cemetery in Santos, where Pele will be interred in a special mausoleum.

Tributes to ‘eternal’ star

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is the only player in history to win three World Cups and defined the “beautiful game” with his talent. His death sparked a global outpouring of tributes.

Pele scored 1,283 goals in a career of 21 years.

Source: AFP, Newspapers.