Pelé

Pelé was the nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (23 October 1940 — 29 December 2022), a Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as the sport's greatest-ever player. He played in four World Cups for Brazil from 1958 to 1970. He was on the winning side in 1958 and 1970 but missed the 1962 final, which Brazil also won, after being injured in an earlier match. He was effectively "kicked out" of the 1966 tournament by cynical tackling, when Brazil were eliminated at the group stage by Portugal and Hungary — that tournament was in England but, no, Pelé did not play against Leeds.

His nickname is not a Portuguese word and it is believed that he acquired it as a child after he mispronounced a footballer's name (rather like Elizabeth II being nicknamed 'Lilibet' from childhood). Pelé came from a poor family and knew real poverty as a child in São Paulo. Football was his escape and, in 1956 when he was still only fifteen, he was signed by Santos Football Club. He became an inside left forward, wearing the number 10 shirt, and would now be known as an attacking midfielder. He had an incredibly high goalscoring record (over 1,000 in first-class matches) but he was also a brilliantly creative player and so combined the attributes of striker and midfielder to a remarkable extent. Santos were hugely successful while Pelé played for them, winning several domestic competitions. They also won the prestigious Libertadores Cup in 1962 and 1963. Often called "Pérola Negra" (the "Black Pearl") by supporters, Pelé became a Brazilian national hero after his outstanding performances in the 1958 World Cup, held in Sweden.