Infantino takes a selfie at Pelé’s funeral – Sport

The world bowed again to the great football artist on Tuesday. At the end of the wake for Pelé, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said goodbye. He wants Pelé, who in Brazil when “O Rei”, the king, is worshiped, pay their respects and acknowledgments, Lula had previously shared. Lula, who took office Sunday at a ceremony that began with a minute’s silence for Pele, paused in front of the coffin, hugged widow Marcia Cibele Aoki and other family members, and said a prayer.

Pelé’s body was transferred from São Paulo to the port city of Santos, around 75 kilometers away, on Monday night, when many fans lined the streets, waving huge flags and setting off fireworks. Around 230,000 fans and companions then paid their last respects in the stadium of his former club FC Santos. To the applause of family and friends, the coffin was sealed Tuesday at 10:04 a.m. local time after 24 hours.

The first fans had already arrived in Santos in front of the stadium on New Year’s Day, around 20 hours before the gates opened, and some were sleeping in the queue. The footballer’s embalmed body lay in state in a coffin on the lawn under a tented roof, surrounded by white flowers. Nobody from the current Seleção around their star Neymar was there, but most of the professionals play in Europe. Even greats like Ronaldo, Romário, Cafu or Kaká did not appear at the ceremony, only Mauro Silva from the last two world champion teams was present.

Fifa President Infantino once again lacks the right sense for the moment

for was Gianni Infantino, the Fifa President, traveled to Santos to say goodbye, but the 52-year-old once again lacked the right feeling at that moment. The powerful and controversial official was photographed just a few meters from the coffin, smiling and taking a selfie with Pelé’s companions, quite irreverently. He wanted to “appeal to all football associations in the world to name at least one stadium in the country after Pele. The youth, the coming generations should know and remember who Pele was and what joy he gave the world,” Infantino said Visit explained.

Pelé’s son Edinho wrote on Instagram in the early hours of the morning: “We’re taking the king home.” The memory of Pelé, who sold peanuts on the street as a young boy to make ends meet for his family, was previously honored with a three-day national mourning.

After the wake, Pelé’s coffin, wrapped in the Brazilian flag and that of “his” Santos FC, was paraded through the streets of Santos on the roof of a fire engine, with cadets from the Military Police Academy keeping a guard of honor nearby. Again and again it was barely walking pace, all the church bells in Santos rang in honor of the great footballer. On the beach, fans drew a huge heart in the sand that read, “Pele, you will be forever.” The procession also passed the house where Pelé’s 100-year-old mother Celeste Arantes lives. Pelé’s funeral was then planned in close family circles. “O Rei”, who was the only player in history to have won the world championship three times and, according to official figures, scored 1,283 goals in his 21-year career, died on December 29 at the age of 82 as a result of cancer.