An emotional Brazil began paying its last respects Monday to football legend Pelé with a 24-hour wake at the stadium where he first took the world's breath away with his exploits.

Hundreds of fans began filing Monday morning into the Vila Belmiro, home to Pelé's longtime club, Santos, where the coffin bearing the remains of "O Rei" (The King) was displayed in the centre of the field, before a funeral procession and private burial scheduled for Tuesday.

It is important to note that Pele died on December 29 after a battle with cancer.