TheCable

Maracana, Brazil’s famous and emblematic stadium, is set to be named after Pele, the country’s football legend.

According to ESPN, the Rio de Janeiro state legislature voted on Wednesday to rename the sports facility Edson Arantes do Nascimento- Rei Pele stadium in honour of the country’s football legend.

Andre Ceciliano, the lawmaker who proposed the name change, said: “King Pele is the best player of all time. It’s a just tribute. Although I have no doubt that everyone will continue to call it the Maracana stadium.”

The renaming of the almost 80,000-capacity stadium is, however, subject to the approval of Claudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro state governor.

The 80-year-old football legend, who won three World Cups for the South American nation, scored his 1000th goal while playing for Santos against Vasco da Gama in 1969 at the Maracana.

The stadium held the finals of the 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. The 2016 Olympic Games’ opening ceremony was also held at the Maracana.

The stadium, which was constructed in the 1940s, was named after Mario Filho, a journalist, while most Brazilians call it the Maracana, due to the neighbourhood in which it is located.

The legislature said although the football stadium will be renamed after the football icon, who is regarded as “the greatest”, the larger sports complex around the ground could retain its current name.