Pe·lé (p??l?) Originally Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Born 1940. Brazilian soccer player who led his national team to three World Cup championships (1958, 1962, and 1970). He later played for the New York Cosmos (1975-1977).American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Pelé (?p?le?) n (Biography) real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento. born 1940, Brazilian footballer: scored 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil (1957?71) and was in the teams that won the World Cup in 1958, 1962, and 1970; awarded an honorary knighthood in 1997Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014