Massive Pelé Statue Unveiled In Guadalajara Ahead Of World Cup

A large statue of soccer great Pelé was unveiled Thursday in the Mexican city of Guadalajara to commemorate his achievements with the Brazilian national team.

Pelé, who died at age 82 in 2022, won one of his three World Cup titles in Mexico at 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 to the people of Jalisco and to all visitors,” Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus said. “Pelé loved Guadalajara, and the Brazilian national team fell in love with it because the Mexican public gave them everything in 1970.”

21 May 2026, Mexico, Guadalajara: Inauguration of the sculpture “La Canarinha” in honor of the Brazilian soccer legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento (“Pelé”) in front of the Estadio Jalisco. Guadalajara, the venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, is honoring Pelé in the run-up to the upcoming sporting events with this more than nine-metre-high statue in Plaza Brasil. Photo: Fernando Carranza Garcia/dpa (Photo by Fernando Carranza Garcia/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The 9.5-meter-tall (31-foot) statue is located in a public square called Plaza Brazil outside the Jalisco Stadium, which hosted matches in the 1970 and 1986 World Cups. For its 1970 title run, Brazil played its first-round, quarterfinal, and semifinal matches at the stadium before beating Italy in the final at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

“People who come to the Jalisco Stadium now will stop to take pictures. This statue will be a landmark, especially since it depicts a football star like Pelé,” Lemus said. “It’s a great gift for the World Cup.”

In the 2026 World Cup, Guadalajara will host four first-round matches: South Korea vs. 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.

Reporting by The Associated Press.