FIFA wants all countries in the world to name football stadiums in Pele’s honor
Key Point
- FIFA wants every country to have a Pele stadium.
- There are no existing venues associated with Pele in Australia.
- It is not clear how the proposal will work in practice, as few national federations own their own stadiums.
Infantino, who was in Brazil for Pele’s funeral in Sao Paulo, told local reporters: “We will ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums after Pele. It is,” he said.
He later attended a function at Sydney Football Stadium, built in 1988, but demolished to make way for Allianz Stadium.
In April 2021, Rio de Janeiro abandoned plans to name the famous Maracana stadium after Pele after being rejected by the state’s governor.
Brazilian football legend Pele (left) and Argentine football legend Diego Maradona (right) during the match between Italy and Argentina in Zurich, Switzerland, June 10, 1987. sauce: AAP / STR/EPA
Infantino released a statement that began on the day of Pele’s death.
“His life is more than football. He has changed perceptions for the better in Brazil, South America and around the world. It is impossible to sum up his legacy in words.”
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/fifa-wants-every-country-in-the-world-to-name-a-football-stadium-in-honour-of-pele/h3mtp79es FIFA wants all countries in the world to name football stadiums in Pele’s honor
