Brazil proclaims three days of grief for Pele, the legend

Pele, a great football player, passed away at the age of 82, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has set three days of national mourning in his honor.

The policy was revealed on Friday in a decree that was signed by the departing president, who will leave office on Sunday, and published in an additional issue of the official gazette.

The cause of Pele's death was given as "many organ failures stemming from the advancement of colon cancer coupled with his prior medical condition," according to a statement released on Thursday.

His old team announced following his passing that his wake would be held on Monday and the funeral will be conducted on Tuesday in Santos, the southeastern city where he spent most of his career playing.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Santos football club said: "The wake for the greatest footballer of all time will be held in Urbano Caldeira Stadium, better known as the Vila Belmiro, where he enchanted the world. Pele will then get a funeral procession through the city's streets before a private burial ceremony."

The flags of all FIFA member states were flown at half-staff on Friday in Pele's honor at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, the home of the world's soccer governing organization.

As a mark of respect for Pele, the flags at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich are flying at half-mast today, the organization said on Twitter.

FIFA said on its website that since the news was made public, "the football world has been united in their mourning and in sharing their memories and affection of a man who was simply termed 'O Rei' - The King.

FIFA chose Pele as the 20th century's best player. Only the legendary Brazilian athlete has three World Cup victories.

After "The King" passed away, tributes to the man who both improved and transcended football began to pour in from all over the world.

International leaders paid homage to Pele, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino, former US President Barack Obama, and Brazilian music giants Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil. Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, also paid respects.

Before each game in the forthcoming round of games, Pele will be honored at top-flight football matches in England, Italy, and France, it was announced Friday.

A statement from the English Premier League's Twitter account said, "Premier League teams will honor Pele's contribution to football during Matchweek 18 [December 30-January 1] by holding a minute's applause before kick-offs."

The statement said, "Players and match officials will don black armbands.

The Italian Football Federation issued a similar statement (FIGC).

"The FIGC has organized a minute's silence to commemorate Pele on the occasion of all the friendly matches planned for today, Friday, December 30, and on the sixteenth day of the Serie A on Wednesday, January 4," it stated in a statement.

According to the Professional Football League, games in France's Ligue 1 will begin with a minute of applause as a picture of Pele holding the World Cup is shown on stadium big screens (LFP).

La Liga in Spain stated on Thursday night that there will be a moment of silence before every game, beginning with that night's match between Atletico Madrid and Elche.