Rio votes to rename Maracana after Pele
Maracana Stadium / File Photo
Rio de Janeiro state legislature voted on Tuesday in favor of a proposal to rename Brazil’s world famous Maracana stadium after legend Pele.
As per a statement released by the Rio de Janeiro state legislative assembly, the bill will be passed to Rio’s acting governor, Claudio Castro, who has up to 15 days to sign it into law.
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This is a worthy homage to a person recognized worldwide for his legacy in Brazilian football and for being of great service to our country.
Andre Ceciliano, Author of the bill
The move would see the stadium’s official title change from Jornalista Mario Filho to Edson Arantes do Nascimento – Pele’s real name.
The 80-year-old Pele is the only player in the world to win the FIFA World Cup three times. In 2000, he shared FIFA’s award for the best player of the 20th century with Argentine legend Diego Maradona, who died last November aged 60.
Meanwhile, the social media users have criticized the bill by saying why Santos with whom Pele played from 1956 to 1974 did not rename their Vila Belmiro stadium after the legend.
The Maracana stadium is considered the spiritual home of Brazilian football and hosted the key World Cup matches in 1950 and 2014.
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