Cape Verde To Re-Name National Stadium After Pele

FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed at Pele's memorial service on Monday that all member associations name a stadium after the three-time World Cup winner.

Cape Verde has become the first country to officially concur with Infantino's proposal.

The Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde has a 15,000 capacity and was built in 2010.

It has been used as Cape Verde's national team home grounds since 2014.

"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", in an initiative that, I believe, will be followed by several countries around the world," Cape Verde's prime minister Ulisses Correira e Silva wrote on Facebook.

"With the physical disappearance of Edson Arantes de Nascimento, King Pele, who soon became a planetary figure, an icon of the masses showing that sport has the power to unite the world, it is now our wish to pay tribute to him," added Mr Silva in a statement that stressed the importance of Pele to Portuguese-speaking countries like Cape Verde.

"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."

Born Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, Pele is widely regarded as the greatest footballer to have ever lived.

His goal tally of 1,281 in 1,363 appearances is considered a world record by the Guinness Book of Records.

Pele spent 18 years of his club career with Santos, where he won six league titles and scored 643 goals in 659 games.

On the international stage, Pele scored 77 goals for Brazil, a record that still stands today but is likely to eventually be broken by Neymar, who pulled level at the World Cup in Qatar.