Edson Arantes do Nascimentosõ(w) aˈɾɐ̃tʃiz du nasiˈmẽtu]; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record. In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century, alongside Diego Maradona.
Pelé began playing for Santos at age 15 and for the Brazil national team at 16. During his international career, he won three FIFA World Cup titles: 1958, 1962, and 1970, becoming the only player to do so and the youngest to win a World Cup, at just 17 years old. He was nicknamed O Rei (The King) following the 1958 tournament.