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Brazilian government declares three-day mourning over Pele’s death

The press service of the outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro emphasized the importance of the phenomenon of a football player for all world sports

RIO DE JANEIRO, December 30. /TASS/. The government of Brazil has declared a thee-day mourning period for football legend Pele, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 82, according to the government’s official journal Diario Oficial da Uniao.

"A three-day official nationwide public mourning period is declared, starting from the day of this decree’s publication, in connection with the death of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or Pele, a former footballer," the decree says.

The press service of Brazil’s outgoing President Jair Bolsonaru stressed the importance of Pele for global sports.

"Being the only three-time World Cup winner, he proved by deeds that he was not just a great athlete, but also a great citizen and a patriot, who brought glory for Brazil no matter where he went," the government said in a Twitter post.

Pele died of multiple organ failure in a private hospital in Sao Paulo, where he was admitted a month before due to progressing colon cancer. He was 82 years old.

The memorial service will be held at the stadium of his former football club Santos, from an eponymous city in the state of Sao Paulo, the Globo television channel reported. The ceremony will begin on Monday, January 2, at around 10 a.m. local time.

After the memorial service is over, the hearse, accompanied by a police convoy, will drive along the streets of Santos, passing by the house still owned by Pele’s mother, Celeste Arantes, who is 100 years old now. On Tuesday, January 3, the famous footballer will be laid to rest at the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica, the world's tallest vertical cemetery where Pele's friends and relatives are also buried. This part of the ceremony will be closed for the public and officials.

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