By Ahmad Muto
Brazilian soccer legend Pelé’s name has been added to the Portuguese dictionary after scooping enough signatures in a campaign to honour the late star.
Pelé has been added as an adjective to mean best.
The entry in the dictionary reads: “The one that is extraordinary, or who because of his quality, value or superiority cannot be matched to anything or anyone, just like Pelé”
It has also been peppered with examples like: He is the Pelé of medicine, she is the Pelé of Tennis.
Real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé succumbed to colon cancer in 2022 at the age of 82.
Many soccer lovers and his fans from across the globe, his former club, Santos FC, where the three-time World Cup winner honed his game, the Pelé Foundation and many Brazilians have shared their excitement on social media upon learning about the development.
On his Twitter page with over three million followers, set up to preserve his legacy, they wrote: “THE KING IS OFFICIALLY IN THE DICTIONARY! He is the Basketball Pelé. She is the Pelé of Tennis. The expression that was already used to refer to the best in what you do is eternalised in the pages of the dictionary! Together we made history and put the name of the King of football in our Portuguese language. Pelé the meaning of ‘BEST.”
Note that Cristiano Ronaldo is Portuguese and his name feature prominently alongside Pelé, Messi, and Maradona each time the conversation is about soccer greats.
Social media has now quipped that Messi will be added as the GOAT and Ronaldo as imposter.
