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FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants every nation to name a football stadium after Pele to honour the Brazil legend who died aged 82 last week.

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

More than 5 000 of the world’s media have gathered at the Vila Belmiro Stadium for a 24-hour wake, as well as figures such as newly sworn-in Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Infantino.

“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.

Pele was born in 1940 in the small country town of Tres Coracoes, but moved to Santos in 1956 and lived there for most of his life.

“Pele leaves millions of Santos fans across our country. He was the creator of Brazilian soccer,” said fan Antonio da Paz, waiting outside the stadium for the memorial set to begin at 10 am local time.

The late Pele

Pele’s body arrived under fireworks in Santos – a city of about 430 000 people – in the early hours  yesterday from Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital. Today, a procession carrying his coffin will pass through the streets of Santos, ending at the Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony.

People started gathering outside the stadium on Sunday, taking pictures next to a statue of Pele.

Street vendors were selling Santos and Brazil jerseys with his name. Inside the stadium, the structure for the wake was ready amid messages such as “Long live the King” and “The only man to stop a war.”

Pele was in Lagos, Nigeria in 1976 for a Pepsi-sponsored visit.

Sao Paulo state military police said in a statement they had prepared a special operation called the “King Pele Operation” to ensure public order.

“I’ll be here all day, 24 hours, from 10 a.m. to 10 a.m.,” fan Roberto Santos said. “Pele deserves it”. —Telegraph