Brazil’s Super Cup has been renamed the “SuperCopa Rei” in honour of Pele, the country’s Football Confederation (CBF) announced on Wednesday.
The Super Cup is the curtain-raiser for the Brazilian season and pits together the Brazilian Serie A winners and the Copa do Brasil champions.
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League champions Palmeiras will take on Cup winners São Paulo in Sunday’s Super Cup in Belo Horizonte.
Often referred to as “O Rei” (The King), Pele scored 77 goals for Brazil in 92 appearances and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time. The three-time World Cup winner died at the age of 82 in 2022.
“Pele deserves all the tributes,” CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues said.
“His legacy will always be revered by the CBF. The Supercopa Rei is a way of giving even more importance to the competition…The idea of calling the competition Supercopa Rei is within the context of utmost importance for the CBF, which is to preserve the memory of Brazilian football, to ensure that new generations do not lose the reference of the great football idols, in this case, the greatest reference of all time.
“This game is yet another way that we, our subjects, have to eternally pay homage to the King of football.”