Lionel Messi’s statue will stand alongside Diego Maradona’s and Brazil’s great Pele at the South American federation’s museum.
The Brazilian football ‘god’ was regarded as one of the greatest footballers that ever graced the game and was so labelled by world football governing body FIFA in 2000.
Ex-U.S. President Barack Obama, Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inacio da Silva, and other officials have paid tributes to football legend Pele.
UNESCO tweeted that it was “deeply saddened” at his passing and extended condolences to the Brazilian people and the wider “football family.”
“He had an enormous generosity of spirit and humility in spite of his greatness as a footballer and sportsman,” Mr Buhari said in his tribute
“Stop the invasion,” the 81-year-old Pele said in a letter to Putin he posted on Instagram.
He remains Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 77 goals in 92 games, seven goals ahead of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Neymar (70).
One of the items expected to fetch a high price is a gold-plated bronze cast of Pele’s foot made by celebrity sculptor Dante Mortet.
The Barcelona superstar garnered 174 points in the ranking system deployed by IFFHS.
