News

sports

On HALO

2 days ago

Pelé, Ronaldinho, Pedri? Why World Cup Icons And Soccer Stars Go By One Name

In the world of global sports, mononyms — going by a single name — has become one of the more popular parts of the sport. Icons like Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaká don’t need a surname to identify themselves to the world. But while it looks like a calculated marketing strategy for modern brands, the origin of the soccer mononym is actually rooted in deep cultural traditions, nicknames and the informal nature of soccer itself. Where Did It Come From? The phenomenon is most famously tied to Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries, particularly Brazil. In Portuguese culture, naming convent...