Pelé Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; born 23 October 1940), known as Pelé (), is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played as a forward. He is regarded by many in the sport, including football writers, players, and fans, as the greatest player of all time. In 1999, he 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 award. That same year, Pelé was elected Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. According to the
Francisco José do Nascimento and Culture, founded in 1999 in Fortaleza, was named after him. In 2017, Francisco's name was written into the ""Book of Steel" in the Tancredo Neves Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom, in Brasília. Francisco José do Nascimento Francisco José do Nascimento (April 15, 1839 — March 5, 1914), known as "Dragão do Mar" ("Sea Dragon") was a Brazilian pilot and abolitionist hero, who in 1881 led a strike in the port of Fortaleza, state of Ceará, refusing to transport enslaved black people to be sold in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian provinces. Francisco José do Nascimento was born