His death has turned the entire Brazilian nation, who worshiped him as a hero, into a state of mourning. Pele was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government back when he was actively playing.
For the world, he is also arguably the best football player to ever play. His record of 1,281 career goals stands uncontested.
His career spanned 21 years and he had become an international icon at that time. Later in his career, he played in New York and helped boost the popularity of football in the United States.
“I was born to play football, just like Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint,” Pele famously said.
“Everything that we are is thanks to you,” his daughter Kely Nascimento wrote in a post on Instagram. “We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”
The football legend was admitted to the hospital in late November this year due to a respiratory infection and complications related to his colon cancer.
Last week, it was announced that his condition had worsened and his cancer had progressed.
The public wake will be held on Monday at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium, home to the Santos Football Club. His body will be moved from the Albert Einstein Hospital at dawn on Monday.
The wake will continue until Tuesday at 10 am, local time. The body will then be carried to the Memorial Necrpole Ecumnica cemetery in Santos.