Pele: FIFA to Ask Every Country to Name a Stadium After Football King

• Pele, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970, died at the age of 82
• Tributes have flooded in from far and wide for a man widely considered the greatest
• Meanwhile, Brazil has declared three days of national mourning after Pele's passing

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has made a clarion call to countries across the globe, to each name a stadium after Pele in honour of the departed Brazilian icon.

Pele passed away aged 82 after a long battle with cancer just before the end of 2022. His death has left the football landscape and the world at large crestfallen.

Since the death of the man once described as a 'non-exportable national treasure', a bucketload of tributes have poured in from world leaders, sports personalities and fans alike.

Infantino made the request while speaking to television reporters at the home of Santos Football Club in Brazil, where a memorial for Pele began on Monday.

Ranking the top 10 best Brazilian football strikers of all-time

Football

"We are also going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele," said Infantino via Telegraph.

Pele's body arrived under a shower of fireworks in Santos - a city of about 430,000 people - in the early hours of Monday from Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital, per Reuters.

Pele's enviable World Cup records

Considered by many to be the greatest of all time to ever play football, Pele passed away aged 82 on Thursday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil after a long battle with cancer.

The man who three times won football's most coveted trophy - the FIFA World Cup - including his first in 1958 as a teenager just under 18 years old, set three records that year which remain to this day.

Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer: Is CR7 leaving Manchester United and which clubs are likely to acquire him?

Football

He missed the opening two games of the tournament with a knee injury and made his debut in the third match, playing all through the tournament to set many incredible records - some of which may be hard to break.

Tributes pour in for Pele

Sports Brief earlier reported that the sporting world has taken to various social media platforms to pay tribute to the legendary Brazilian football icon, who passed away on December 29.

The only player to win the FIFA World Cup three times, Pele died at age 82 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

The former footballer is regarded as the greatest of all time, following his trailblazing achievements in the game.