A large statue of football great Pelé was unveiled in the Mexican city of Guadalajara on Thursday to commemorate his achievements with the Brazilian national team.
Pelé, who died in 2022 aged 82, won one of his three World Cup titles in Mexico during the 1970 edition of the tournament.
“This monumental figure of this great player, who played here and scored a great goal, is a great gift for the people of Jalisco and for all visitors,” said Governor Pablo Lemus of Jalisco. “Pelé loved Guadalajara, and the Brazilian national team fell in love with it because the Mexican crowd gave them everything in 1970.”
The 9.5-metre-high statue stands in a public square called Plaza Brazil, outside the Jalisco Stadium, where matches were held during the 1970 and 1986 World Cups. For the 1970 title run, Brazil played its first round, quarter-final and semi-final matches at the stadium before beating Italy in the final at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.
«People who come to Jalisco Stadium now will stop to take pictures. This statue will be a landmark, especially because it depicts a football star like Pelé,» Lemus said. “It’s a great gift for the World Cup.”
During the 2026 World Cup, Guadalajara will host four first-round matches: South Korea against the Czech Republic on June 12; Mexico vs. South Korea on June 18, Colombia vs. Congo on June 23 and Uruguay vs. Spain on June 26.
Published on May 22, 2026
