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The football fraternity has reacted on Twitter after a Brazilian dictionary honoured three-time world champion Pele by adding his name as an adjective.
Brazil icon Pele, who passed away on December 29, 2022, is the only player to win three FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970). He's widely hailed as one of the greatest players in the sport's history, one who exuded an aura of invincibility.
On Wednesday (April 26), a Brazilian dictionary immortalised the Brazilian legend, making sure everyone would be reminded of his greatness when discussing something incomparable. The dictionary entry reads (via CNBC TV18):
“The one that is extraordinary, or who because of his quality, value or superiority cannot be matched to anything or anyone, just like Pele; nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), considered the best athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique. Examples: He is the Pele of basketball; she is the Pele of tennis; she is the Pele of Brazilian theater; he is the Pele of medicine.”
Twitterati has reacted to the news, expressing their admiration. Touched by the gesture, one wrote:
"Wow. That's beautiful."
Another agreed, saying:
"Legend"
A third claimed that Pele is the best footballer in history:
"Better than any player Pele"
Another dubbed the former Santos superstar a legend:
"Pele means Legend"
A couple of Lionel Messi fans also chimed in, claiming that the Argentina icon would soon be added to the dictionary.
One wrote:
"Very soon they will add Messi to it"
Another took the opportunity to mock Cristiano Ronaldo, saying that his name would be added as a synonym for the word 'imposter':
"Later they'll add Messi as 'The GOAT' And Ronaldo as 'imposter'."
Pele’s greatness will live forever in heart of football fans
Football used to be a lot different in Pele’s days, with very few managing to master the art of versatility.
The Brazilian was a pioneer in that regard, teaching the world how to be equally good at scoring and creating. The attacker, who won his first World Cup at the age of 17, holds the record for providing the most assists at a World Cup, providing seven in 1970.
He's also the youngest player to score a hat-trick at the World Cup. Aged only 17, Pele scored a 23-minute hat-trick in a 5-2 win over France in the 1958 World Cup semifinals. According to RSSSF, Pele scored 778 goals in 846 official games, which proves how ruthless he was in front of goal.
The Brazilian icon was a proud holder of a plethora of records, with the ones mentioned above likely to stand the test of time, just like his legacy.
