Gianni Infantino, President of world football governing body FIFA, is to ask every country in the world to name a stadium in honour of Brazilian football star Pelé.
The Brazil great, who won the World Cup three times and scored over 1,000 goals in his career, died on 29th December aged 82 after a battle with cancer.
Speaking after attending Pelé's funeral in Sao Paulo, Infantino told local reporters "we're going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pelé."
Infantino, who appeared to make the announcement without consulting with FIFA member nations, did not specify how such naming would be achieved or whether he expected the naming to be of new venues or the renaming of existing ones.
was in Brazil for Pelé's funeral in Sao Paulo, told local reporters: "We're going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pelé."
It is not clear how this proposal will work in practice as few national federations own their own stadia and the ones that may name them after local heroes or naming rights sponsors.
However, there may be federations, clubs or cities who welcome the idea of naming their stadium after such an iconic figure, even if there is no obvious connection, particularly if FIFA provides funding for the new venue.
The only Australian stadium Pelé played in, the Sydney Sports Ground in 1972, has since been demolished. The site is part of the Allianz Stadium.
Pelé later attended a function at the then new Allianz Stadium in 1988, but that venue has since been redeveloped.
In April 2021 Rio de Janeiro abandoned plans to name the famous Maracana Stadium after Pelé after it was vetoed by the state governor.
Infantino released a statement on the day of Pelé's death which noted "for everyone who loves the beautiful game, this is the day we never wanted to come. The day we lost Pelé."
He described Pelé as an "exemplary sportsman" adding "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."
Image: Brazilian football legend Pelé. Credit: Shutterstock.
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Nigel Benton
Co-founder/Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management
Nigel Benton is the co-founder and Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia and New Zealand’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry. Having established the magazine in 1997, shortly after his relocation to Australia, he has managed its readership rising to over 11,500 and its acceptance as the industry journal for professionals in aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues.
In 2020, he launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.
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