Edson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (born October 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil), best known by his nickname Pelé (Portuguese pronunciation: [peˈlɛ]), is a former Brazilian football player, rated by many as the greatest footballer of all time. He was given the title of Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. He was born in Três Corações, Brazil, the son of a Fluminense footballer Dondinho and Maria Celeste Arantes.
He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison, but was misspelt Edson, which showed on his birth certificate. He was originally nicknamed Dico by his family. "Pelé" until his school days, when it is claimed he was given it because of his pronunciation of the name of his favorite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé, which he misspoke "Pilé". He originally disliked the nickname, being suspended from school for punching the classmate that coined it.