Brazil has started the day without football legend Pelé.
“The King,” who won three World Cups and was widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, died on Thursday at the age of 82 in So Paulo, Brazil.
Pelé’s face shone on buildings across South America overnight, and landmarks were lit up in his honor. Fans dressed in his iconic number 10 shirt took to the streets.
The government of Brazil has declared three days of national mourning.
On Friday, the front pages of Brazil were all about Pelé. “Pelé died, if indeed Pelé can die,” one read, because for Brazilians, he is the eternal King.
When Queen Elizabeth II died, national mourning was declared for the first time. Many parallels have been drawn between Pelé and royalty – he was the closest thing Brazil had to royalty.
When news of Pele’s death broke the previous afternoon, supporters began gathering outside So Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital.