SANTOS, Brazil (AP) 鈥 The mausoleum built for the golden casket of Pel茅 was opened for visitors on Monday.
On the second floor of a vertical cemetery , the mausoleum welcomes fans with two golden statues of Pel茅; the floor is artificial grass; the walls are images of fans in a stadium; and there's an endless soundtrack of cheers, as if Pel茅 was still playing. The ceiling above the casket of the three-time World Cup champion is blue.
Pel茅 was laid to rest here on Jan. 3, five days after at age 82 of colon cancer.
鈥淭his was made with a lot of love by people who knew him, who lived with him. It has the essence of what he was,鈥 an emotional Edson Cholbi do Nascimento, one of Pel茅鈥檚 sons, said after a small ceremony with family and friends.
The mausoleum was planned by the owner of the cemetery, Pepe Alstut, who died in 2018.
Alstut hoped the mausoleum would be on the ninth floor, overseeing the Santos club's Vila Belmiro Stadium, where Pel茅 starred for 18 years. His family, instead, buried him on the second floor so fans could have better access.
鈥淚 am shaking. The energy of this place is surreal,鈥 said Erica Nascimento, a tearful 42-year-old economist.
Former footballer Roberto Milano, 56, was also moved.
鈥淗e is part of my life," Milano said. "As we grow old we need to follow the best role models. Maybe he was the biggest of them all of these role models.鈥
Fans willing to attend must book a time on the Memorial cemetery website.
Pel茅 led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He is the only player to win it three times. Last month, a Brazilian dictionary added 鈥淧el茅鈥 as an adjective to use when describing someone who is The announcement by the Michaelis dictionary was part of a campaign that gathered more than 125,000 signatures to honor the late soccer great鈥檚 impact.
____
AP journalist Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed.
___
More AP soccer: and
