Inside Brazil icon Pele’s tomb in world’s tallest cemetery where he's laid to rest in gold coffin

Brazil icon Pele's tomb has been opened to the public. The legendary footballer passed away at the end of last year (December 29) at the age of 82 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

The three-time FIFA World Cup winner's funeral was done in Brazilian club Santos' stadium. He was buried in a golden casket in the world's tallest cemetery. The building has 14 floors.

On May 15, the Ecumenical Memorial cemetery was opened to the public. There are two life-size golden statues of the iconic figure at the entry of the cemetery. The statues are covered with the flags of Brazil and Santos football club.

The size of the room is approximately 200 square meters, and the walls are covered with posters of fans. There are also soundtracks of cheering fans inside the room.

There's a special vault in the middle of the room with a cross on it. The details of Pele's 1000th career goal are also depicted on the vault. The ceiling of the room is covered with sky blue decoration.

A maximum of 60 visitors are allowed inside the specially made room. Fans need to sign up on the cemetery's website to get on the queue. Pele's son Edson Cholbi do Nascimento recently told reporters about the special room (via The Sun):

"This was made with a lot of love by people who knew him, who lived with him. It has the essence of what he was."

A 44-year-old fan named Ronaldo Rodrigues, who is a businessman by trade, told Citizen Digital:

"It surpassed my expectations. It's a really beautiful place."

---

How many FIFA World Cups did Pele play?

Pele participated in four FIFA World Cup tournaments during his legendary career. He won the competition in his first two appearances in 1958 and 1962.

He failed to get the winner's medal in the 1966 edition, but the iconic figure won the competition once again in 1970. He made 14 appearances in the competition, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists.

While he had legendary teammates like Garrincha, Rivelino and Tostao, the former Santos player stood out with his individual brilliance. Pele is regarded as one of the greatest players ever to grace the beautiful game.