Broadcaster Nicanor Ribeiro may not have the resourcefulness of Edson Arantes do Nascimento with the ball at his feet, but another characteristic brings him (very) close to Pelé: his appearance. The notable resemblance between the two, which has led him to be confused with the King of Football, has made him the most famous look-alike of the Athlete of the Century.
The “Pelé in a suit” – as Nicanor himself introduces himself, in allusion to the expression “Eternal Pelé” – attended this Monday (2) the idol’s wake, held at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium, in Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP) ). The King’s look-alike (who, despite the joke, was wearing a Santos striped shirt) thanked him for the 20-year “partnership” with the greatest football player in history.
“We traveled together, we visited seven capitals, he was always very receptive to me. We met to record advertisements, in almost all World Cups we recorded together, unfortunately in this one [a do Catar] it was not possible. He left leaving a lot of nostalgia, a fantastic legacy, [a mensagem de] that we need to take care of our children,” Nicanor told Brazil Agency.
Nicanor met Pelé in 1996, during an event in the United States, in which American and Japanese fans approached to take a photo, thinking that the broadcaster was the King of Football. Encouraged by the Athlete of the Century to run, he intends, in the street races he participates in, to continue honoring his idol.
“Today I have an infrastructure that prepared me to be a runner. So, I will carry his name everywhere”, concluded the 68-year-old broadcaster.
the wake
Pelé’s body was transported from Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, in São Paulo, to Vila Belmiro during the early hours of the morning. The coffin is in the center of the stadium’s turf. The wake is opened. Public access is through gates 2 and 3 (Rua Dom Pedro), while authorities access gates 10 and 15 (Rua Princesa Isabel).
Two tents were erected on the lawn. One of them, which contains Pelé’s coffin, is intended for family members, historic Santos idols and guests. The other is aimed at other authorities. The general public walks along a platform, which is to the left of the first tent.
After the wake, which ends at 10 am (Brasília time) on Tuesday (3), a parade will be held through the streets of Santos, which will pass along Avenida Coronel Joaquim Montenegro (Channel 6), where Pelé’s mother, Celeste, lives. Arantes, who turned 100 on November 20. From there, her body will be taken to the Ecumenical Necropolis Memorial, for burial at 12 pm, in a ceremony restricted to family members.
