One step before changing the name of the Maracana Stadium in Brazil

Brazil's famous Maracana stadium is close to getting a new name after a vote by the Rio de Janeiro state legislature, Tuesday, to change its name to Edison Arantes de Nascimento - Stade de Re Pele.

Pele (80 years) participated in this famous stadium several times with Brazil and scored his 1000th goal there in 1969 when he was playing with Santos against Vasco da Gama in a local match.

The person in charge of the name change project said, "It is a well-deserved honor for a man known to the whole world because of his legacy in Brazilian football and because of his services provided to our country. The word (RI) means King in Portuguese."

This stadium hosted the World Cup Final in 1950 and 2014 as well as the opening of the 2016 Rio Olympics, and has long been named after Mario Feliu, the journalist who helped create it in the 1940s.

The legislature said the name of the football stadium will change but the extensive sports complex around the stadium could retain its current name.

Most Brazilians call the stadium the Maracana, in relation to the area that includes this stadium.

The only step left before changing the name permanently is obtaining the approval of the governor of Rio state.

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