Funeral procession for Pelé begins after thousands, including Brazil’s president Lula da Silva, visited 24-hour wake

Jan 3 (CNN/GNA) – A funeral procession which will take soccer great Pelé to his final resting place has begun Tuesday.

The procession started at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium, home of Pelé’s former club Santos, and his coffin will be carried through the streets of the city of Santos, including passing down the street where Pelé’s 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, lives.

It will continue to the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemetery, where a private funeral will be held for family members.

The three-time World Cup winner died on Thursday at the age of 82 from multiple organ failure due to the progression of colon cancer.

Tributes from around the world have poured in ever since, with people of all ages flocking to his 24-hour public wake, which began on Monday at Santos’ 16,000-seater stadium, popularly known as “Vila Belmiro.”

More than 150,000 people, many were wearing Brazil’s iconic yellow jersey, had attended by Tuesday morning, according to Santos.

The doors to the stadium closed with thousands of mourners still in line and people were turned away, according to CNN teams on the ground.

Thousands have lined the streets, waving flags and applauding as the Brazilian’s coffin passed by.

Pelé’s sister, Lucia, was seen tearfully waving from a balcony at crowds who had gathered outside her mother’s house.

GNA/Credit: CNN