Due to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s stated wish for every country to rename a site after the late forward, Cape Verde has decided to rename its national stadium after Pele.
The 82-year-old Brazilian legend, who won the World Cup three times, is still widely regarded as the best player in football history.
Infantino urged each member of the federation to honor Pele by naming a stadium for him when he spoke at the attacker’s memorial earlier this week.
According to the nation’s prime minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, Cape Verde will now rename its 15,000-seat Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde, which is situated just outside the capital Praia, as the Pele Stadium.
“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 statement on Facebook.
“[This is]Â an initiative that, I believe, will be followed by several countries around the world.
“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 was laid to rest on Tuesday after a procession. His 77 goals for Brazil remain a joint-record for the men’s national team.