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The Pele Stadium in Rwanda holds a capacity of 22,000 people and was previously known as the Nyamirambo Stadium.
Rwanda has officially opened the Nyamirambo Stadium in Kigali and named it after Brazilian and world football legend Pele, following his death in December 2022.
The stadium was renamed in honour of the iconic striker, becoming the second stadium in the world to be named after him.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was present at the stadium's opening ceremony alongside Rwanda President Paul Kagame in Kigali on Wednesday.
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The two men also played a friendly match on the newly-renamed pitch as part of the 73rd FIFA Congress Delegation Tournament.
Infantino in an all-blue strip faced a team led by the Rwanda president, with Kagame’s side winning the game 3-2, in a tournament which is said to feature football legends and FIFA officials.
Infantino had previously announced that FIFA would request every country in the world to name a stadium after Pele.
The Pele Stadium in Rwanda holds a capacity of 22,000 people and was previously known as the Nyamirambo Stadium.
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The venue is now home to the Rwandan national team, and the name change is a symbolic gesture to honour the legacy of one of the greatest football players of all time.
The opening of the Pele Stadium in Rwanda is a significant achievement in Infantino's goal to name stadiums in every country after Pele.
The newly-named Pele Stadium in Rwanda now joins the Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde, a 15,000-seater venue in Cape Verde, as the only two stadiums in the world to bear the name of the legendary footballer.
Pele, who passed away in December 2022, is the only player to have won the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy with Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He also amassed over 1,200 career goals in his more than 20 years as a professional footballer.
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