Inside Pele's lavish tomb with gold coffin, fake grass and goals on walls

The footballing world was left in mourning at the turn of the year when global superstar Pele, aged 82, passed away after a battle with cancer.

Pele had been one of the first icons of the game, winning the World Cup on three separate occasions - including his 1958 triumph as an unknown star. The Brazilian won it again in 1962, but his crowning glory was his third triumph in 1970.

And with a career gilded in gold, Pele's tomb has come to represent his career. Images have emerged of his lavish resting place that features a gold coffin, fake grass, and some of his greatest goals represented on the walls.

Pele was laid to rest at the Ecumenical Memorial Cemetery in Santos, Brazil - a 14-story mausoleum that holds the Guinness world record for the tallest cemetery on the planet.

And fans can now pay their respects to one of the greatest footballers to ever live in his lavish tomb. Two statues of the great man stand at the entrance, one with a Santos flag and the other with a Brazilian flag, which lead fans into the room.

Inside, on some artificial turf sits Pele's gold coffin - which has his name, the date of his birth and the date of his death.

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The room also features nods to Pele's best moments as a player. With his 1000th career goal and famous celebration depicted on the side of the coffin.

It is also decorated with fans cheering around the walls, with Pele's shirts sporadically on display around the centre-piece. Currently, visits are limited to just 60 people-per-day, with fans hoping to visit having to register via a website.

Ronaldo Rodrigues, who was first in line for the tomb, told local media: "It surpassed my expectations. It's a really beautiful place. I hope lots of tourists will come visit and get to know a little about Pele's story, what he represented for Santos, Brazil and the entire world."

Pele's son Edinho was one of the first to visit the tomb, and he admitted to reporters he's struggling with the loss of his father, adding to reporters: "But we're also very proud and happy at all the affection and reverence that's kept pouring in!"

The cemetery also features an auto-museum - where fans can see the Mercedes Benz S-280 the company gave Pele in 1974 to commemorate his 1,000th goal.

The tomb is located less than 1km away from Santos' stadium, where Pele played most of his career.