SANTOS have unveiled plans to build a stunning new stadium that pays homage to icon Pele.
The Brazilian club have played at the 16,000-seater Vila Belmiro Stadium since 1916.
But plans to knock down their current home and replace it with a state-of-the-art 30,000 capacity arena in the same place were approved.
The three-year project will cost a reported £96million to complete.
Incredible designs show that the new ground will be a multipurpose stadium capable of hosting concerts and other sports away from football .
The venue is in a compact area of Sao Paulo, so the club are therefore ready to build up.
Construction work will take it as high as an 18-story building.
There is going to be retail and leisure space on the bottom alongside a huge car park.
And the pitch will sit on the equivalent of the fourth floor.
Huge hospitality areas are set to be built and VIP fans have access to a viewing platform on the highest floor.
The stadium is going to be wrapped in a white carbon fibre mesh.
And the exterior will have players printed on the side with legend Pele front and centre.
Mayor of Santos Rogerio Santos said after giving the project the green light: “The club has taken the city’s name to every corner of the world.
“Today, by approving this project, we take an important step for the club and the city, which will now have a modern arena capable of hosting major games as well as major concerts and events, something we don’t yet have the infrastructure to do.”
Pele is Santos’ greatest of all-time and when he passed away in 2022, his coffin was placed in the club’s stadium for thousands of fans to come and pay their respects.
The club is currently in crisis after a 6-0 defeat to Vasco da Gama on Sunday.
Neymar burst into tears after the game and manager Cleber Xavier has since been sacked.
