Brazilian and world football star, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known as Pele has been honored for his contributions to the game by having his name added to the dictionary as an adjective.
This was done after a campaign led by the Pelé Foundation and SporTV dubbed “Pelé in the dictionary”.
The Michaelis dictionary defines “Pele” as: “What or who is out of the ordinary, what or who by virtue of their quality, value or superiority cannot be equaled to anything or anyone, just like Pelé, nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), considered to be the greatest athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique.
“Examples: He is the Pelé of basketball, she is the Pelé of tennis, she is the Pelé of Brazilian dramaturgy.”
Pele sadly passed away on December 29, 2022, following a long battle with colon cancer.
A three-time FIFA World Cup winner, he scored over 1000 goals in his career and is regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time.