Before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo came along, Pele and Diego Maradona were the two names that came up most often when people talked about who was the best soccer player ever.
It was a debate that was broadcast on radio and television for years, as well as on terraces and in bars.
Pele, a prolific goal scorer from Brazil who passed away at the age of 82 on Thursday in Sao Paulo, won the World Cup three times as a player—in 1958, 1962, and 1970—and helped to popularise the little town of Santos before taking the United States by storm with the New York Cosmos.
Maradona, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 60, led Argentina to the World Cup in 1986 with what is arguably the most significant performance at a major competition. He also propelled Naples to unprecedented heights in Italy and Europe.
When Maradona was chosen as the player of the 20th century in a FIFA internet survey, there was a significant uproar, with many complaining that Pele’s early career put him at a disadvantage with younger fans. The football world had been so divided by the debate over whose influence was greater.
Pele won a second FIFA poll that was decided by members of the organization’s “football family,” which allowed the two to split the honour.
Pele was described as “more of your quiet sort of person” in a statement made at the time by FIFA. Pele was a striker whose “territorial” was the penalty box.
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Maradona was a facilitator and goal scorer who was technically excellent, unpredictable, and impetuous both on and off the field. He was arguably the most complete player to ever play the game.
The arguments put up by either side included a variety of subtexts, such as the Argentine versus the Brazilian, the common guy versus the figure from the establishment, the party animal versus the reserved individual, and the rebel versus the conformist.
Everyone chose a side, and the two main characters weren’t afraid to express their own sentiments.
Maradona thought Pele was a sellout, and Pele thought Maradona was gauche and undignified.
As a player, he was excellent, but Maradona noted in one of his more forgiving assessments, “He thinks politically.
The Argentine, who battled addiction, was referred to by Pele as “a poor example” and many other things.
Nevertheless, the two South Americans got along well when they first met in Rio in 1979, when Maradona flew to visit Pele.
Maradona was thrilled to finally meet Pele, and Pele was delighted to offer advice to the aspiring star.
But in 1982, Pele insulted Maradona after he was kicked out of a World Cup game in Spain for stamping on a Brazilian player. This made their relationship worse.
They continued to criticise one another for the next few decades until reconciling, with the compliments being just as earnest as the jabs.
When Pele learned of Maradona’s passing, he was gracious and said, “I lost a wonderful friend, and the world lost a legend.”
Messi, who last month led Argentina to their third World Cup title, enhanced his own claim to sporting greatness. Messi tweeted a photo of himself with Pele on Instagram along with the curt message, “Rest in peace, Pele.”
At the World Cup in Qatar, Messi outshone Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, who was more eloquent and referred to the Brazilian as “King Pelé” and an inspiration to millions. He remarked that he would never be forgotten and that everyone who loved football would always remember him.
Reuters
