Pele is dead: the story of how a mistake led to the nickname that made the Brazilian legend immortal

‘Pelé’, the nickname of Brazilian star Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who died on Thursday at the age of 82, will be remembered for eternity. But, wink to fate, it originated in a speech problem and in the figure of a idol of his childhood: goalkeeper José Lino da Conceição Faustino ‘Bilé’.

‘Bilé’ was the goalkeeper of Vasco de São Lourenço, a modest team from the state of Minas Gerais, which also included ‘O Rei’ father, João Ramos do Nascimento ‘Dondinho’.

As a child, Edson, who was then called “Dico” by his family, loved to play goalkeeper and whenever he made a save he would yell to himself “Sure, Bilé!” (“Take it, Bilé!”), inspired by his father’s companion.

However, due to his young age, since he was barely four yearsI still haven’t gotten it Pronounce correctly the name ‘Bilé’, and the friends with whom he played in the streets of Bauru, in the interior of São Paulo, they thought he said something like “Pele”.

The nickname stuck with his fellow players, who came to call him ‘Pele’, which at first deeply irritated the man who would go on to become one of the best players in all of history.

Young Edson had no choice but to accept the nickname that would go on to become world famous and become a global brand that will last forever.

It is in the city of Bauru that Pelé took his first steps in the world of football. From the streets he continued to defend the colors of various non-professional teams from that city of São Paulo, until he joined the ranks of Bauru Atlético.

There he was coached by former Brazilian national team player Waldemar de Brito, who went down in history as the “discoverer of Pele”.

De Brito immediately understood that ‘Pele’ was ready for more flights and brought him to Santos.

In 1956, the young striker started his career at the club that brought him worldwide stardom and where he completed most of his sporting career.

With the Albinegra shirt he played 1,116 games and scored 1,091 goals, according to the accounts of the San Paolo team, which he will leave in 1974 to head to the New York Cosmos, where he will retire three years later.

Pelé was the only footballer on the planet to win three World Cups: Sweden 1958, Chile 1962 and Mexico 1970.

With information from EFE