Gianni Infantino says FIFA is asking every country to name a stadium in honor of the great soccer player Pele | world News

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that FIFA intends to ask every country in the world to name a stadium in honor of the late football legend Pele.

The former Santos star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, died on December 29 at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer since September 2021.

“We will ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums after Pele,” Infantino, who is in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for Pele’s funeral, told local reporters.

Image: FIFA President Gianni Infantino during Pele’s wake at the Villa Belmero stadium

Rio de Janeiro has scrapped plans to name the famous Maracanã stadium after Pele after the state’s governor opposed it in April 2021.

The football legend’s coffin was laid inside the Villa Belmero stadium in his hometown of Santos on Monday, the club’s own stadium where he scored some of the best goals of his career.

Infantino released a statement on the day Pele died stating: “For everyone who loved the beautiful game, this is the day we never wanted to come. The day we lost Pele.”

He described Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, as a “perfect athlete” and added: “Pele had a magnetic presence, and when I was with him, the rest of the world just stopped.

“His life is about more than just football. He has changed perceptions for the better in Brazil, South America and all over the world. It is impossible to sum up his legacy in words.”

Image: Thousands of fans lined up to pay their last respects to Pele

Read more: Pele embodied the idea of ​​football as a beautiful game in pictures: The greatest footballer of all time

As he told reporters on Monday: “I am here with a lot of emotion and sadness, but also with a smile because he has given us so many smiles. As FIFA, we will pay tribute to the King and ask everyone in the world for a minute of silence.”

Image: Fans line up as Pele wakes up at the Villa Belmero stadium

Meanwhile, mourners began to pay their respects to Pele in a solemn procession in front of his coffin at Villa Belmero, which was festooned with Brazilian flags and the number 10 shirt Pele was known for when he played for Santos and Brazil.

Photo: Pele died on December 29

Bouquets of flowers filled the stands, arranged by mourners and sent by clubs and star players – including Neymar and Ronaldo – from all over the world.

The speakers also played a song named Eu Sou Pele (I Am Pele) that the soccer star had recorded himself.

His funeral was held at 10 am local time, and the burial will take place on Tuesday.

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