Following the passing of Brazilian legend, Pele last week, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has announced that every country in the world will be asked to name a stadium after him.
Infantino will invite countries to honor one of the all-time greats with the gesture after the Brazilian legend died at the age of 82.
“We are here to pay homage to him, and we are talking with all the federations to observe a moment of silence for Pele,” said Infantino, on a visit to Santos to attend the three-time World Cup winner’s memorial at his former club. “But we are also talking to every country in the world about having a football stadium named after Pele. In 50 or 100 years, when a child asks, ‘Who was Pele?’ then we will be able to remember him. In the place where he used to score his goals, we see the emotions of football. We have to make sure this happens.”
Yesterday, as Pele’s coffin arrived at the stadium where he initially took the world’s breath away, an emotional Brazil began paying their tributes.
Hundreds of fans filed into the Vila Belmiro, home of Pele’s longstanding club Santos, where the open casket containing the body was exhibited in the center circle.
The casket will be kept there and surrounded by bouquets of white flowers for 24 hours.
Pele is the only player to have won the World Cup three times, with Brazil winning the title in 1958, 1962, and 1970. Pele scored almost 1,200 goals in his more than 20 years as a professional footballer.
Nonetheless, Infantino’s suggestion to have stadiums named after Pele is unlikely to be favorably received.