At the entrance there are lifesize golden statues of Pelé, who was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in 1940.

The casket containing Pelé's body has been decorated with images depicting him in his playing days.

The floor is of artificial grass to represent a football pitch and the walls are surrounded with images of a crowd.

A soundtrack of cheering has also been added.

"This was made with a lot of love by people who knew him, who lived with him, it has the essence of what he was," Pelé's son Edson Cholbi do Nascimento said.

The mausoleum was planned by the owner of the cemetery, Pepe Alstut, who died in 2018.

He had hoped that Pelé would be interred on the 19th floor so that he would be overlooking the Vila Belmiro Stadium where he played for 18 years with Santos, but the casket has been placed on the second floor to make it more accessible.

Officials at the mausoleum have said that an appointment made online will be necessary before visiting.

Pelé played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments.

In 1958, before his 18th birthday, he scored twice in the final against Sweden as Brazil won 5-2.

In 1962, he was injured in a group match and did not play in the final as Brazil retained the trophy.

In 1966, he was subjected to brutal treatment by opposition defenders, particularly in Brazil’s group match against Portugal.

Yet as his career came to an end, he scored what was said to be his 1,000th career goal for Santos against Vasco da Gama at the Maracana in 1969.

At the 1970 tournament in Mexico, he was the inspirational figure at the heart of Brazil’s third World Cup triumph.

In the final against Italy, he scored Brazil’s 100th goal in World Cup football.

Pelé retired from the international team in 1971, but continued to play club football.

He moved to New York Cosmos in 1974 and played there until 1977, when he made an emotional farewell to the game in a match where he played one half for New York Cosmos and the other for Santos.

Replicas of shirts from both clubs are displayed at the memorial alongside a Brazil shirt.

Pelé remained a revered figure throughout the rest of his life.

He never played in the Olympics but was invited to carry the Olympic Flame in 2004 and did so again in 2016 on its journey around Brazil, although by now he had become increasingly frail.

Pelé died at the end of December after a long battle against cancer, at the age of 82.

Last month after a public campaign his name was added to Brazilian dictionaries as a simile for the word "unique."