Brazilian football legend Pelé has been honoured by the addition of his name to the Portuguese-language Michaelis dictionary.
The online edition of the dictionary now includes the adjective “Pelé” as a synonym for exceptional, incomparable and unique.
The move follows a campaign by the Pelé Foundation, which garnered over 125,000 signatures to have the football star’s name recognised in this way.
Pelé died in December 2022, aged 82, and is widely regarded as the greatest footballer in history.
He won the World Cup three times and scored a record 1,281 goals in his career with Santos, the New York Cosmos and the Brazilian national team.
The inclusion of “Pelé” in the Michaelis dictionary is seen as a fitting tribute to his achievements on and off the field. His former club, Santos, and sports channel SporTV, also campaigned for his name to be recognised in this way.
