FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, on Monday at the wake of late icon Pele, said the world’s countries will name a stadium for Brazilian the football legend.
The head of sport’s governing body, Infantino was in the city of Santos, Brazil, to pay his final respects to the player, known globally as the greatest of all time, who died Thursday at the age of 82, AFP reports.
Infantino while speaking to journalists at the Vila Belmiro, the stadium where the player known as “The King” first made impact onto the world stage with his exploits for his longtime club, Santos FC said, “We’re going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele.”
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, while attending the 24-hour wake along with the heads of the South American and Brazilian football confederations.
“We’re here with great sadness,” Infantino said. “Pele is eternal. He’s a global icon of football.”
Meanwhile, FIFA had already flown the flags of the world at half-mast Friday outside its headquarters in Zurich in honour of Pele, whom the organisation has named as the greatest player of the 20th century.
Interestingly, Pele who died at a Sao Paulo hospital after a long battle with cancer has been accorded the feat of the only player in history to win three World Cups.
There will be a funeral procession through the streets of Santos Tuesday, then a private interment ceremony after Monday’s wake.
