Fifa president wants member federation to name a stadium each after Pele

Every country will be asked to name a stadium after Pelé, Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, said at the wake of Brazil’s football great — at which he was also seen appearing to take a selfie on a phone with a group of people in front of the open casket.

Infantino was speaking in the city of Santos, where Pelé played most of his club football, at a 24-hour tribute to the player known as “The King” who died aged 82 last Thursday from cancer.

However, Infantino’s suggestion of naming stadiums drew ridicule on social media from Argentina fans, who are fierce rivals of Brazil — one of the Argentina supporters’ most popular songs includes the line “Maradona is greater than Pelé”.

“We’re going to ask every country to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pelé,” Infantino told journalists at the Vila Belmiro Stadium.

 “We’re here with great sadness. Pelé is eternal. He’s a global icon of football. Future generations have to know and remember who Pelé was.”

The Fifa president attended the wake along with the heads of the South American and Brazilian football confederations and was among the first to pay his respects before Pelé’s open casket, which was displayed in the middle of the pitch.

The picture of Infantino appearing to take a selfie was taken soon after he was seen offering condolences to Marcia Aoki, Pelé’s widow, and his son Edinho. Fifa had already flown the flags of the world at half-mast outside its headquarters in Zurich in honour of Pelé — the only player in history to win three World Cups.

Thousands of Brazilians formed queues to enter the Vila Belmiro Stadium in the hours before the wake started. The coffin was brought to the stadium by Pelé’s son Edinho and leading former players of Santos. The wake will be followed by a funeral procession through the streets of Santos and a private interment ceremony on Tuesday.