Pele

Edson Arantes do Nascimento — known to the world simply as Pele — remains the benchmark against which all footballers are measured. Three World Cup victories, over a thousand career goals, and an improvisational genius on the pitch that bordered on the transcendent. He came from poverty in Bauru, Brazil, and became a global figure of joy and possibility. Long after his playing days ended, his name was shorthand for excellence in any endeavor.