Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, requested that every nation name a stadium after Pele, and Cape Verde became the first to do so.
The Prime Minister of the African nation said that they would rename their national stadium, Estádio da Várzea, in honour of the late Brazil great, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 82.
Portuguese is the same language spoken in Cape Verde, a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean to the west of the African continent.
The prime ministers of Cape Verde and Brazil, Ulisses Correia e Silva, have asserted that the histories and cultures of their respective nations "go hand in hand, considering that they are two sister countries, linked by language and by extremely similar identities."
As an icon that spans numerous generations, Pele "was and will always be a reference in Brazil, in our Portuguese-speaking globe, and the rest of the world," according to the prime minister.
“As a tribute and recognition to this figure who makes us all great, I manifest the intention (of the Government) to name our national stadium as ‘Pele Stadium,’ an initiative to which, I believe, several countries around the world will accompany us,” he said.
According to the official government website, the executive of Cape Verde has already informed FIFA of its decision to rename the stadium.
On Monday, Infantino announced to reporters in Brazil, “We are going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele.”
On Tuesday, Pele was laid to rest in Brazil after lying in state for 24 hours at the Vila Belmiro Stadium, which is the home of Santos. Pele played for Santos during his playing career.