FIFA President Gianni Infantino receives backlash for taking selfies near Pele’s open casket

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is highly criticized by football fans for his actions during Pele's funeral.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino receives backlash for taking selfies near Pele’s open casket

Gianni Infantino at Pele's funeral

Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s President, recently came under fire for allegedly taking a photo next to Pele’s casket at the iconic footballer’s memorial in Santos, Brazil. At the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of the Santos Football Club, fans gathered up to view Pele’s corpse in an open casket in the middle of the pitch. Pele lost his battle with colon cancer on Thursday at the age of 82.

FIFA president faced intense criticism (January 3) when pictures of Infantino taking a photo ahead of Pele’s open casket surfaced on Tuesday,  In the aftermath of the Brazilian in the town of Santos, the FIFA president was seen snapping selfies of himself and others while using his cellphone.

YouTube video

Along with the chiefs of the Brazilian and South American football national associations, Infantino visited Pele’s funeral. According to the Times, he was one of the earliest to pay homage in front of the Brazilian legend’s casket, which was on exhibit in the center of the field at Vila Belmiro stadium. Following his sympathies to Pele’s wife Marcia Aoki, Pele was observed snapping a picture with Lima, another former Santos colleague. 

FS Video

Many fans criticized Infantino for his actions at Pele’s funeral, resulting in them being not pleased by the FIFA president’s selfie session. While thousands of Brazilians mourned the demise of one of their biggest national heroes, questions regarding the necessity of appearing for photos were raised.

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Gianni Infantino requests each nation to rename one of their stadiums in Pele’s honor

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, has urged all nations to dedicate at minimum one venue to Brazilian pioneer and football great Pele. The president was spotted paying tribute to the great at the Vila Belmiro stadium. The 24-hour wake was visited by several prominent people, notably Infantino.

Pele was deemed the best player of the 20th century by FIFA. The legendary Brazilian man passed away at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital after a protracted fight with colon cancer. The 82-year-old legend’s family was by his side throughout the closing moments of his life. Following the passing of one of football’s greatest players, there was a surge of sorrow.

“We’re going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name Pele,” Infantino notified the media outlets. Attendees at the monument included football fans from Brazil and South America. Gianni Infantino paid respects to Pele in front of his coffin, which was positioned in the center of Santos FC’s home field.

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