A giant statue of Brazilian footballer Pele has been installed outside a stadium in Mexico ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a tribute to the iconic player.
The nine-meter high bronze statue of the former Brazilian sports minister was installed outside the Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara. It was placed outside the stadium using a crane by the workers.
Several spectators gathered to watch as stadium crews lifted and placed the sculpture, created by Mexican artist Alejandro Velazo.
The monument depicts Pele celebrating after Brazil won the FIFA World Cup in 1970.
Estadio Jalisco will not host any matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Instead, the four World Cup matches assigned to the metropolitan area of Guadalajara will be held at the newly built Estadio Akron.
However, the installation, officially known as La Carinha, is part of Guadalajara’s city-wide cultural celebration for the global sporting event.
Pele wore the yellow shirt in 92 international matches and scored 77 goals at an incredible average of 0.84 goals per game.
For context, many world-class forwards aim for a ratio of 0.5 to 0.7 goals per game. match. At club level, Pele is Santos’ all-time top scorer with 643 goals in 659 games
The legendary player led his team to victory in the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
