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Soccer legend Pelé's imprint on the game across the world was undeniable. After he passed away on Dec. 29, his family held a 24-hour public wake on Jan. 3. An estimated 230,000 fans came through the stadium to see their idol one last time.
One person traveled three hours to attend Pelé's wake despite having work only five hours later. He waited hours in line to honor the soccer great. People spread across the roads and caused traffic while those who wanted to avoid the long line outside of the stadium were unable to do so.
“It's no sacrifice,” Walter Henrique told The New York Times. “(Pelé) gave us so much joy that it’s a pleasure to be here.”
Another family thought arriving at 1:15 a.m. would help accelerate their time at the wake. Unfortunately for the group, others had the same idea in mind.
“It was not a good strategy,” Vinícius Fortes, who was a part of the family, said. “I was voting to not stay. I said, ‘Look, we’re going to wait for two hours to be near a box for 10 seconds.’ But every day you go home and sleep,” Fortes added. “This is a moment in your life you are going to remember forever.”
Every soccer fan around the world claims Pelé is one of their own given his global impact. However, what he meant to Brazil is a type of love only those in the country understand.
“Pelé was the king,” said João de Souza, said standing in line at 3:30 a.m. “He showed the Brazilian spirit to the whole world, showed that Brazil has guts.”
