Cape Verde to rename national stadium after Pele following Infantino wish

Cape Verde is to rename its national stadium after Pele, following FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s professed desire to have every nation name a venue after the late forward.

The Brazil star, who passed away last month aged 82, was the only man to win the World Cup three times and remains arguably the greatest footballer of all time.

Speaking at the attacker’s memorial earlier this week, Infantino called on each federation member to name a stadium for Pele, to honour the mark he left on world football.

Now Cape Verde will rename its 15,000-seater Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde, located just outside the capital Praia, as the Pele Stadium, per the country’s prime minister Ulisses Correia e Silva.

“As a tribute and recognition to this figure that makes us all great, I manifest the intention of naming our national stadium as Pele Stadium,” he said in a statemeFacebook.

“[This is] an initiative that, I believe, will be followed by several countries around the world.

1 – Pelé was the youngest player at the World Cup to:

– Score a goal (17 years 239 days)
– Score a hat-trick (17 years 244 days)
– Score in a final (17 years 249 days)

Eternal. pic.twitter.com/ySlLTcxmlO

— OptaJoao (@OptaJoao) December 29, 2022

“With the physical disappearance of Edson Arantes de Nascimento, King Pele, who soon became a planetary figure, it is now our wish to pay tribute to him.

“Cape Verde and Brazil have a history and culture that go hand in hand, considering they are two sister countries, linked by language and very similar identities.

“Pele was and always will be a reference in Brazil, in our Portuguese-speaking countries and in the rest of the world, being an idol that links several generations.”

Pele, whose Brazil tally of 77 goals remains a joint-record for the men’s national team, was laid to rest on Tuesday following a procession.