Pele. Four letters, two syllables. And a universal code word. A concept understood by everyone, regardless of proximity -- or distance -- from the beautiful game.
Pele -- the word -- meant something not just to fans, but also to folks who had never watched a football game, as well as to those who had but hated the sport. In that sense, he was David Beckham before David Beckham. Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan. Jesse Owens before Jesse Owens. He was the game's first globalized superstar by whatever metric you choose: commercial, media presence, wages. Oh, and he won three World Cups as well, which didn't hurt.