'Pele is eternal': Brazilian city of Santos honours its idol
In this file photo taken on April 14, 2012, former Brazilian footballer Edson Arantes do Nascimento, a.k.a. "Pele" (centre), ambassador of the 2014 World Cup, celebrates with former team players during the 100th anniversary ceremony of Santos FC at Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, about 70 km south of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Brazil started three days of national mourning on December 30, 2022, for football legend Pele, the three-time World Cup winner widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, who has died at the age of 82.
Rovai has fond memories of chatting with "O Rei" (The King), who died Thursday in a Sao Paulo hospital at age 82, triggering an outpouring of emotion in Brazil
Pele debuted for Santos at the age of just 15, and went on to score 1,091 goals in 1,116 matches for the club, winning 45 titles along the way, according to the team's records
Jonas Augusto dos Santos, another lifelong Santos fan, like his father and grandfather, went to the stadium with a group of friends in tribute
Santos, Brazil
From the second floor of her house, Onofra Alves Costa Rovai can see the Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Brazilian football legend Pele first took the world's breath away.
