Rwanda second country to name venue after Pelé



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Rwanda names stadium after Pelé Image: FIFA

Two down, 209 to go. Rwanda became the second nation in the world to name a stadium after the Brazilian legend Pelé, following his death in December 2022.

‘as’ stated that shortly after the official confirmation of his passing, the FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that he wanted every country in the world to have a stadium named after the former player. Cape Verde (country in Africa) became number one and on March 15th, Rwanda became number two, with the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame also attending the event and aided the FIFA President in the reopening of the ground.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. He started playing for the Brazil national team at the age of 16. The soccer legend passed away on December 29th, 2022 at the age of 82.
 

The Second Pelé Stadium in the World

Before it was known as the Nyamirambo Stadium, now it is the Pelé Stadium. The multisports ground is in Kigali and holds 22,000 people. Back in January, the Cape Verde National Stadium, a 15,000 seater venue that is home to the Cape Verde national team, changed its name to the Pelé Stadium.

The 22,000-capacity Kigali Pelé Stadium, nicknamed the Nyamirambo Regional Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium in the Nyamirambo neighborhood of Kigali, Rwanda. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts several teams in the Rwanda Premier League, including APR F.C. and Rayon Sports.

The Rwanda Premier League is the highest division of football in Rwanda. The league was formed in 1975. It was known as the Primus National Football League in 2004 and from 2009-2010 to 2012-2013, after which sponsorship was taken over by the Turbo King.

The APR F.C. is a football club from Kigali in Rwanda. The club plays their home games at the Kigali Pelé Stadium in Kigali. The club was founded in June 1993 as the team of the Rwandese Patriotic Front. It plays in the Rwanda Premier League.

The Rayon Sports Football Club is an association football club from Nyanza, Southern province, Rwanda, now based in Kigali. The team currently competes in the Rwanda National Football League, and plays its home games at the Kigali Pelé Stadium in Kigali.

‘as’ further stated that the Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva was the person who confirmed that their Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde would be renamed after Pelé, saying, “The 15,000-seat stadium, which hosts football matches for the Cape Verde national team, will be called ‘Pelé Stadium’ in honor of the former American professional soccer club New York Cosmos player. As a tribute and recognition to this figure that makes us all great, I manifest the intention of naming our national stadium as the ‘Pele Stadium,’ in an initiative that, I believe, will be followed by several countries around the world.”

The 15,000-capacity ‘Pelé Stadium’ is a multipurpose stadium in Praia, Cape Verde. Used for football matches, it is home to the Cape Verde national football team. It is owned by the Government of Cape Verde, and operated by an appointed Commission of Stadium Administration. Following the death of Brazilian footballer Pelé, in January 2023 it was announced that the stadium would be renamed the ‘Pelé Stadium’ in tribute to the soccer giant.
 

Did Gianni win the MVP Award in the Pelé Stadium?

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, after opening the stadium and posing for photos, then tied the laces on his boots, pulled up his socks and took part in a football match with FIFA officials and legends that were present. Reports stated that “President Kagame won the game 3-2… that was initially meant to last for 11 minutes, but people on field said, it took longer than this.” I have not read the match report on the official FIFA website, but I can only assume Infantino won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award.”

Gianni Infantino is a Swiss football administrator and the current President of FIFA. He was first elected to the office during the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress held in February 2016, was re-elected in June 2019 and in March 2023. In January 2020, he was also elected a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

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