Categories: Sport

Pelé added to Portuguese dictionary as an adjective for ‘out of the ordinary’

Pelé celebrates during a match for the New York Cosmos in August 1977.

George Tiedemann/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images


CNN
 — 

Should you ever need a reminder of how good Pelé was at football, just look up his name in a Portuguese dictionary.

The Brazilian football legend, who passed away in December, has been added to the Portuguese edition of the Michaelis dictionary as an adjective to describe someone or something “out of the ordinary.”

(Original Caption) Miami, Florida: Head and shoulders portrait of the New York Cosmos soccer sensation Pele standing on the field in New York Cosmos uniform. The crowd can be seen in the background.

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Pelé's final hurrah at New York Cosmos helped spark 'sporting revolution' across North America

The move comes after a “Pelé in the dictionary” campaign, organized by the Pelé Foundation and SporTV, gained more than 125,000 signatures.

A definition of “Pelé” in the Michaelis dictionary now reads: “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.”

Pelé attends Soccer Aid at Old Trafford in Manchester on June 5, 2016.

Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage/Getty Images

A three-time World Cup winner, Pelé is considered by many to be football’s first global superstar and the one of the greatest players of all time.

The announcement that his name had been added to the dictionary was marked at a sports industry summit in São Paulo, Brazil, where his family received a plaque displaying the definition.

“His name in the dictionary is a very important piece of his legacy that will keep Pelé alive forever,” said Joe Fraga, executive director of the Pelé Foundation, according to Reuters.

CNN’s Duarte Mendonca contributed to reporting

Share

Recent Posts

Mexican migrant Wisconsin judge accused of helping evade ICE faces domestic abuse charges; had been deported

close Video Buck Sexton: Everyone who thinks the law doesn't count needs to be put…

2 hours ago

Famed stunt pilot was in contact with control tower prior to fatal crash at Langley Air Force Base

close Video Famed stunt pilot was talking to air traffic controllers prior to fatal crash…

2 hours ago

ICE Denver arrests Tren de Aragua member with multiple criminal convictions

close Video Ex-New Mexico judge, wife arrested for allegedly harboring illegal Tren de Aragua member…

2 hours ago

Florida doorbell camera captures alligator up on hind legs, ‘knocking’ on door

close Video Alligator knocks on door at Florida home The uninvited visitor at the Lake…

2 hours ago

Judge temporarily blocks Trump order ending collective bargaining rights for most federal workers

A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked an executive order from President Donald Trump that…

2 hours ago

Retired NYPD officer attacked in teen ‘gang assault’ after confronting them for harassing cab driver: report

close Video Retired LAPD Lt. praises NYPD as global model for combating domestic terror Retired…

4 hours ago