FIFA president Gianni Infantino is currently under a lot of criticism. The driver of the Football Association was present at the farewell ceremony of the late football legend Pelé. There he was spotted taking selfies next to the open coffin during the vigil for the late Brazilian.
The coffin that Pelé lies in is currently in the middle of the field at the Vila Belmiro stadium, the home of his beloved club Santos. The three-time World Cup winner died last week at the age of 82 from cancer. Thousands of people, including friends, family and fans, attended to pay their last respects to Pelé.
Gianni Infantino taking a selfie right next to Pelé's open coffin. 🤔
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One of those people was Infantino. Bystanders watched in amazement as the FIFA boss took selfies a few meters from Pelé’s body. Although it appears that he is posing at the behest of others, many agree that his behavior is inappropriate. He was photographed by the international press and his photos received a lot of criticism on social media.
Infantino spoke respectfully of Pelé to his widow Marcia Aoki and eldest son Edinho during the ceremony. “We are here with great sadness,” said the 52-year-old chairman. “Pele is forever. He is a global icon of football. Future generations need to know and remember who Pele was.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is in Brazil for Pele's funeral, told reporters: "We're going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele."
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Earlier this week the news came out that Infantino would have submitted a proposal to all countries in the world (!) to name at least one stadium within the country’s borders after Pelé. This statement has also drawn a lot of criticism. While many agree that Pele is a true legend, FIFA has never come up with such a proposal before.
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