Pelé

American  

[pey-ley, pey-ley] / peɪˈleɪ, ˈpeɪ leɪ /

noun

1. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, 1940–2022, Brazilian soccer player, generally regarded as preeminent in the sport.

---

Pelé British  

/ ˈpɛleɪ /

noun

1. real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento. born 1940, Brazilian footballer: scored 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil (1957–71) and was in the teams that won the World Cup in 1958, 1962, and 1970; awarded an honorary knighthood in 1997

---

Example Sentences

Football legend Pele once trod its turf, and international sporting competitions have been held there.

From Barron's

From Garrincha to Gazza, Pele to Antonin Panenka, Diego Maradona to Djalminha, football lovers have always been drawn to great entertainers.

From BBC

West Ham, for example, had their own 'Brazilian', as dubbed by the great Pele, in a young Joe Cole - buzzing across the Upton Park turf looking like he'd borrowed his big brother's shirt, oversized shorts tickling his knees, a blur of body feints and impossible turns, feet twitching quicker than the eye can capture.

From BBC

Legendary forward Pele claimed to have scored more than 1,000 times during a career with Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos.

From BBC

A Washington Post profile from 2024 said he paid $10,000 in cash to wear the number 10 jersey worn by football icons Pele, Maradona and Messi and that referees, fearful of retribution, refused to blow their whistles when he fouled other players.

From Barron's