High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Edison Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (born 23 October 1940, Três Corações, Minas Gerais), best known by his nickname Pelé (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [pe l ], usual English pronunciation: / p le /) is a Brazilian football player. He was given the title "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee. In 1999 Time Magazine named Pelé one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century. While his birth certificate shows his first name as Edison, he prefers to call himself Edson, but it is as Pelé that he has become a sporting legend. In his native Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contributions to the game of football[9] in addition to being officially declared football ambassador of the world by FIFA and a national treasure by the Brazilian government.