FIFA President Gianni Infantino appeared today to take a selfie next to the open coffin of soccer legend Pele, whose memorial service is currently taking place in Brazil.
Infantino was in the city of Santos to pay his last respects to the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time, who died on Thursday aged 82.
Thousands of mourners, including Pele’s wife and brother, descended on Vila Belmiro, home of Pele’s longtime club Santos, where the open coffin inscribed “The King” was on display on a temporary structure in the center of the pitch.
There, beside Pele’s coffin, Infantino appeared to pause to take a selfie with a group of men – including former Santos player Manoel Maria – just meters from the dead football legend’s body.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) appeared today to take a selfie next to the open coffin of soccer legend Pele (seen below), whose funeral service is currently taking place in Brazil. Former Santos player Manoel Maria wears the blue polo shirt
Pictured: Infantino stops to take a selfie with a group just meters from Pele’s coffin
Pele’s sister was in the same picture as the Fifa president held out a cellphone to take a selfie with the man.
In a second photo, another man stopped to take a selfie with Infantino and the men the FIFA boss had previously snapped a photo with.
Standing near the coffin, Infantino was also seen comforting Pele’s widow Marcia Aoki and his son Edinho while shaking hands with others standing under the awning.
Infantino, who attended the 24-hour vigil along with the heads of the South American and Brazilian football federations, was one of the first to offer his homage.
Infantino has been accused of wanting to be the center of attention in recent months. Before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the FIFA President amazed the fans with a bizarre speech.
Standing next to the coffin, Infantino was also seen comforting Pele’s widow Marcia Aoki (right) and his son Edinho while shaking hands with others standing under the awning
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (R) greets Brazilian soccer legend Pele’s son Edinho (left) during his wake January 2 at the Urbano Caldeira stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Infantino was in the city of Santos to pay his last respects to the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time, who died on Thursday aged 82
The game’s global governing body had come under attack for its decision to move the final to Qatar, where the treatment of migrant workers and the rights of LGBTQ+ people have been heavily criticized.
In his 90-minute speech, the President compared his own experience as a red-haired child to that of gay and disabled people at a press conference.
Infantino said: “Today I feel like a Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel handicapped. Today I feel (like) a migrant worker. Of course I’m not Qatari, I’m not Arab, I’m not African, I’m not gay, I’m not disabled.
“But I feel like it because I know what it means to be discriminated against and bullied as a foreigner in a foreign country. I was bullied as a kid – because I had red hair and freckles, plus I was Italian, get that.”
He was also criticized for his actions during the awards ceremony at the final of the World Cup tournament on December 18, in which Argentina defeated France.
Before presenting the trophy to Argentina’s talisman Lionel Messi, he was wrapped in a black robe or bisht – a traditional Qatari garment. Infantino then slowly led Messi to the trophy and then down the stage to his teammates.
This prompted BBC pundit Alan Shearer to quip: “I didn’t think Infantino would let him go either,” before Gary Lineker added: “No one tagged him [Messi] that tight during the game!’
Additionally, Infantino was met with mockery and outrage on social media after the World Cup after a video resurfaced of the FIFA President visiting Salt Bae’s restaurant in Dubai in the wake of the World Cup final antics last year celebrity chef
Questions have been raised as to why the celebrity chef was allowed onto the pitch as Argentina players celebrated their World Cup triumph.
Infantino has been accused of wanting to be the center of attention in recent months. Before Argentina’s talisman Lionel Messi was presented with the trophy after his world title, he was wrapped in a black robe or bisht – a traditional Qatari garment. Infantino then slowly led Messi to the trophy and then down the stage to his teammates
While Pele continued to back down on Monday, Infantino announced that FIFA would urge every country in the world to name a stadium after the Brazilian football legend.
“We will ask every country in the world to name one of its soccer stadiums with the name of Pele,” Infantino told journalists gathered at Vila Belmiro, the stadium where the player known as “King” first exploded world stage with his exploits for his longtime club Santos FC.
“We are here with great sadness,” Infantino said. “Pele is eternal. He is a global icon of football.”
FIFA had already flown the world flags at half-mast in front of its headquarters in Zurich on Friday in honor of Pele, whom the organization named the greatest player of the 20th century.
Pele, the only player in history to have won three World Cups, died in a Sao Paulo hospital after a long battle with cancer.
Monday’s wake will be followed by a funeral procession through the streets of Santos on Tuesday, followed by a private burial ceremony.