Massive Pele statue unveiled in Mexico ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

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 Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara. It was placed outside the stadium using a crane by the workers.

Several onlookers gathered to watch as the stadium crews lifted and positioned 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 allocated to the Guadalajara metropolitan area will be hosted 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 jersey in 92 international matches and scored 77 goals, having an incredible average of 0.84 goals per match.

For context, many world-class strikers aim for a 0.5 to 0.7 goals-per-match ratio. At the club level, Pele is Santos's all-time top goalscorer with 643 goals in 659 games

The legendary player led his team to the win in 1970 FIFA World Cup.