Pelé

About Pelé

Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), is unequivocally one of history’s most influential figures, ranking #203 on MIT’s Historical Popularity Index due to his unparalleled impact on global culture and the sport of soccer. He is the only male player to win three FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and is often credited with popularizing the 'beautiful game' worldwide, transcending linguistic and national barriers across the 20th century. His athletic achievements fundamentally reshaped the perception of the sport globally, securing his high historical ranking.

Despite this high historical valuation, Pelé’s modern internet attention suggests a significant disconnect. In 2025, his Wikipedia page garnered 1.9 million annualized views. This level of attention is substantially lower relative to his historical importance, as indicated by his **+4x Attention Gap** signifying overattention compared to figures with similar HPI scores, or, in comparison to modern political figures like George W. Bush (#441 importance), who drew 7.4M views. Pelé receives less than a third of the attention given to some contemporaries with lesser historical weight.

This relative decline is further evidenced by recent trends: his 2025 annualized views show a 15.5% year-over-year decrease, with momentum dropping 8% between Q1 and Q3, suggesting that the digital spotlight on this cultural titan is currently waning compared to the historical consensus of his impact.