By Victor Kanayo
World football governing body, FIFA, has revealed its plan to ask every country to name a stadium in honour of Pele.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino who disclosed this on Monday January 2, 2023 while in Sau Paulo Brazil to attend Pele’s funeral said, “We’re going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele.”
Attending the 24-hour wake along with the heads of the South American and Brazilian football confederations, Infantino was among the first to pay homage before Pele’s open casket, which was displayed in the middle of the field at Vila Belmiro stadium.
“We’re here with great sadness. Pele is eternal. He’s a global icon of football,” he said.
FIFA had already flown the flags of the world at half-mast Friday outside its headquarters in Zurich in honor of Pele, whom the organization has named as the greatest player of the 20th century.
Pele, the only player in history to win three World Cups, died at a Sao Paulo hospital after a long battle with cancer.
Monday’s wake will be followed by a funeral procession through the streets of Santos Tuesday, then a private interment ceremony.
The Brazil great, who won the World Cup three times and scored over 1,000 goals in his career, died on December 29, aged 82 after a battle with cancer.
In April 2021, Rio de Janeiro abandoned plans to name the famous Maracana Stadium after Pele after it was vetoed by the state governor.
Pele’s coffin was placed inside the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos on Monday, the home ground of the club where he spent virtually his entire career.
