Pelé buried at cemetery in Brazilian city he made famous

SANTOS, Brazil (AP):

Brazil said a final farewell to Pele yesterday, burying the legend who unified the bitterly divided country.

Newly inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid his respects at Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Pele played for most of his career.

Pele was being laid to rest in the city where he grew up, became famous, and helped make into a global capital of his sport. Mass was held at the Vila Belmiro stadium before the black casket was driven through the streets of Santos in a fire truck.

It was taken into the cemetery as bands played Santos' official song and a Catholic hymn. Before the golden-wrapped casket arrived, attendees sang samba songs that Pele had liked.

Some legends of Pele's sport weren't there.

"Where's Ronaldo Nazario? Where's Kaka, where's Neymar?" asked Claudionor Alves, 67, who works at a bakery next to the stadium. "Do they think they will be remembered like Pele will? These guys didn't want to stop their vacations, that's the problem."

Another notable absentee was Jair Bolsonaro, whose presidential term ended on Saturday. A day before, he departed the capital Brasilia on a flight to Florida, shirking the ceremonial duty of passing the presidential sash to Lula. Bolsonaro is staying in a condominium complex outside Orlando and has been filmed speaking to neighbours.

Geovana Sarmento, 17, waited in the three-hour line to view the body as it lay in repose. She came with her father, who was wearing a Brazil shirt with Pele's name.

"I am not a Santos fan, neither is my father, but this guy invented Brazil's national team. He made Santos stronger, he made it big, how could you not respect him? He is one of the greatest people ever, we needed to honour him," she said.

Caio Zalke, 35, an engineer, wore a Brazil shirt as he waited in line. "Pele is the most important Brazilian of all time. He made the sport important for Brazil, and he made Brazil important for the world," he said.

In the 1960s and '70s, Pele was perhaps the world's most famous athlete. He met presidents and queens, and in Nigeria, a civil war was put on hold to watch him play. Many Brazilians credit him for putting the country on the world stage for the first time.

Rows of shirts with Pele's No 10 were placed behind one of the goals, waving in the city's summer winds. A section of the stands was filling up with bouquets placed by mourners and sent by clubs and star players -- Neymar and Ronaldo among them -- from around the world as loudspeakers played a song named Eu sou Pele ('I am Pele') that the Brazilian himself recorded.

The crowd was mostly local, although some came from far away. Many mourners were too young to have ever seen Pele play. The mood was light, as people filtered out of the stadium to local bars, wearing Santos FC and Brazil shirts.