Gianni Infantino will ask countries to name stadium in the honor of Pele who passed away at the age of 82.
If the FIFA President had his way, Pelé may soon become a national hero in every nation on earth.
After a brief stay in the hospital for health-related treatment, he tragically passed away at the age of 82 just before the year 2022 came to a conclusion.
Infantino thinks that everyone needs a continual reminder of Pelé’s legacy everywhere they go. Pelé won the World Cup three times and scored more than 1,000 goals during the course of his career.
The FIFA president reportedly said to reporters: “We’re going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pelé.”
He claimed that by doing this, “children will know Pele’s importance” in both football and the wider world.
It will be intriguing to observe if that takes place.
Plans to rename the Maracan stadium in Rio de Janeiro with Pelé’s name were shelved two years ago.
As a result of the state governor’s veto, it is now known as Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho.
The 24-hour wake for Pelé has begun in Brazil, allowing the public to pay their respects to the legendary player before he is laid to rest.
The funeral service is being held at Santos’ former football club’s stadium, Urbano Caldeira.
A funeral procession will travel through the streets until it reaches the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemetery once the wake is concluded.
The Estádio Urbano Caldeira, the home of Santos FC, where Pele spent the majority of his club career, can also be seen from his final resting place, according to the Daily Mirror.
Pele’s gravesite, according to his admirers, was specifically chosen so that he could always “see” the field where he played so many of his games.
Before his demise, his family confirmed that they expected him to spend the holiday season receiving care. He was brought to the hospital a month before his death after obtaining a colon cancer diagnosis in September 2021.
Gianni Infantino Tribute to Pele
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, has paid his last respect to the late and legendary Brazilian football icon.
“O Rei” was exceptional in a lot of ways”, the football president said.
He was the only player to have won the FIFA World Cup three times and his skill and imagination were incomparable. Pelé did things that no other player would even dream of, such as the famous dummy in the 1970 FIFA World Cup semi-final that became known as the Pelé run-around. Or the goal he scored in the 1958 FIFA World Cup final as a 17-year-old when he flicked the ball over a defender and volleyed it into the net. The sight of him punching the air in celebration is one of the most iconic in our sport, and is etched into our history. In fact, because televised football was still in his infancy at the time, we only saw small glimpses of what he was capable of. Most importantly, “The King” rose the throne with a smile on his face. Football could be brutal in those days, and Pelé was often on the receiving end of some rough treatment. But, while he knew how to stand up for himself, he was always an exemplary sportsman, with genuine respect for his opponents.
I had the great privilege of meeting him in several occasions. In 2016, already as FIFA President, we were side by side for the premiere of Pelé’s movie, which reminded me of when I sat next to my father in 1981 when he brought me to watch “Escape to Victory” in which Pelé starred alongside Silvester Stallone and other famous actors. I was 11 years old and my father told me what a great player Pelé was. The fantastic goal he scored in that movie was the only way, at that time, to have a glimpse of his incredible skills. The moments spent with him will forever remain in my memory and in my heart. Pelé had a magnetic presence and, when you were with him, the rest of the world stopped.
His life is about more than football. He changed perceptions for the better in Brazil, in South America and across the world. His legacy is impossible to summarise in words. To his family and friends, to CBF, to Brazil and to all football fans who loved him so much, I express my sincere condolences. Today, we all mourn the loss of the physical presence of our dear Pelé, but he achieved immortality a long time ago and therefore he will be with us for eternity.
Gianni Infantino – FIFA President
Pele – King Of Football
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his stage name Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward from October 23, 1940, until December 29, 2022.
He was among the most accomplished and well-known athletes of the 20th century, and FIFA even named him “the greatest” player of all time.
He was named the International Olympic Committee’s Athlete of the Century in 1999, and Time named him one of the 100 most influential individuals of the 20th century.
Pelé was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award in 2000 and was chosen by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) as the World Player of the Century.
Including friendly, he scored 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which is recognized as a Guinness World Record.
