Brazil’s famous Maracana stadium is to get a new name, after the Rio de Janeiro state legislature voted on Tuesday to change its official title to the Edson Arantes do Nascimento — Rei Pele stadium. – By Madellene Markit.
The 80-year-old Pele, whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, played at the stadium many times for Brazil and scored his 1,000th goal there in 1969 — for Santos against local club Vasco da Gama.
The Rio de Janeiro’s state governor must approve the name change before it becomes official.
Pele, who won three World Cups as a player for Brazil, scored his 1,000th goal at the stadium in 1969 when playing for Santos against Vasco da Gama.
“It is a worthy homage to a man who is recognized the world over for his legacy in Brazilian football and for the corresponding services rendered to our country,” the deputy responsible for the project said. ‘Rei’ means ‘king’ in Portuguese.
The Maracana held the 1950 and 2014 World Cup finals, as well as the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics.
More than 200,000 spectators are reported to have been in the stadium to watch Uruguay beat Brazil in the 1950 final, although its capacity is now 78,838.
It was named after Mario Filho, a journalist who lobbied for its construction in the 1940s, but was known as the Maracana after the area in which it is located.
The legislature said the football stadium, with a capacity of almost 80,000, will be renamed but the larger sports complex around the ground can retain its current name.
Most Brazilians call it simply the Maracana, after the neighbourhood in which it is located. The Rio state governor must give the go-ahead to the name change.
