Pele = BEST, officially! Brazil’s dictionary adds football legend’s name as adjective for ‘exceptional’

In a major recognition of Pele, the Brazilian soccer legend’s name has been added in a Brazilian dictionary to be used for someone who is “exceptional, incomparable, unique.” The announcement was made by Michaelis Dictionary after it ran a campaign and collected over 125,000 signatures to honor his achievements and contributions to the country.

Also known as the ‘Black Pearl’, his real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Pele passed away in December 2022, after fighting cancer, at the age of 82. Playing at the international level between 1957 to 1971, he helped Brazil win three World Cups, in 1958, 1962, and 1950.

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“The one that is extraordinary, or who because of his quality, value or superiority, cannot be matched to anything or anyone, just like Pelé; nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), considered the best 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 theater, he is the Pelé of medicine,” the entry by the dictionary read.

The announcement was welcomed and every nook and corner of the country, with Pele’s social media channels saying that while the expression was largely used in reference to the best while describing something, is now eternal in the pages of history. “We made history together and put the name of the King of Soccer into the Portuguese language. Pelé means ‘THE BEST’,” they said.

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In his two decades of playing football for his club Santos and the national team, he had been the most prolific scorer of the game. Only a few soccer legends across the globe, like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside him.

In the year 2000, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) was jointly voted as the World Player of the Century. During his visit to India in 2015, Pele expressed his love for the country and also added that India will have excellent football players in the future.