Pelé Eterno

[140]

The greatest to ever do it. RIP in peace King

[lefty]

RIP

Better than Missi tbh

[Robz4000]

RIP to a GOAT, even if it is doublehandjobball.

[Luka Doncic]

[Canyonero]

RIP. We both have the same amount of CL rings

[rjv]

the true GOAT. rip, el rey.

[DAF86]

RIP to the Bill Russell of football. Although Bill wasn't a bitter old man that took shots at younger players just because they were now on the limelight, tbh.

[lefty]

RIP to the Bill Russell of football.

Mah he’s the true GOAT, just accept it and move on

[DAF86]

Mah he’s the true GOAT, just accept it and move on

Don't know. Never seen him play. Neither did you, tbh.

P/S: Untill 11 days ago, weren't you saying that Diego was the GOAT?

[lefty]

Don't know. Never seen him play. Neither did you, tbh.

P/S: Untill 11 days ago, weren't you saying that Diego was the GOAT?

Diego and Pele are both Goats tbh

[lefty]

No racist but Mbappé looks like a young Pele tbh

[Ariel]

RIP to the third best South American player of all time, 2 time WC winner Pelé.

[ElNono]

RIP. Respect because he did it before tday’s football

[ElNono]

Srsly, stat-padder, product of garrincha, tbh…

[Bynumite]

Very overrated. Inflated his numbers against watered down compe ion in Brazil, MLScrubs and every sunday's barbecue game.

[dunkman]

I saw Pelé when was very old in some of his latest games for Cosmos, so can’t say much, though I saw few players drop headers like him of making passes out of defenders legs.

Young Maradona would say looked much more talented than Messi (or specially Ronaldo), though must be said Messi had the better career.

Ronaldo Nazario looked amazing player when very young. He was still the best after injuries but not by a huge margin.

MBappé is a special talent too, but not quite there.

[Ariel]

Young Maradona would say looked much more talented than Messi (or specially Ronaldo), though must be said Messi had the better career.

Ronaldo Nazario looked amazing player when very young. He was still the best after injuries but not by a huge margin.

Unfortunately only saw Maradona from 90s onwards, and I have to say I'd take 30 y.o Messi over Maradona 100 times out of 100, but from video and statistics Maradona's prime came early and also ended prematurely (for obvious and well known reasons). Clips from his Argentinos Juniors days are mind boggling, he was already amazing at 16 in an Argentinian League that had the top domestic talent, because at the time we were under a dictatorship that banned players from playing abroad in preparation for the '78 WC that was set to play in Argentina (which ended up paying off). So he was playing against top talent as well.
I did get to see all of Ronaldo's early years, which to me were his best. I can't get his Barcelona and early Inter (pre-injury) years out of my head, he was the best forward I ever saw apart from Messi (who I put above him only because of his ability to create for others as well). His speed, dribbling, and finishing ability was unmatched, true poetry in motion. My favorite non Argentinian player ever, above Zidane, Ronaldinho Gaucho, and Rivaldo (best of the rest IMO).
As for Pelé, I think every player who was the best of his generation deserves lots of respect, but it's difficult to compare between such different eras. I've looked at old videos (30s, 40s, 50s and 60s) and was overall underwhelmed by the level of play, so I have a hard time giving the best ever t1tle to a player whose best came 50+ years ago.

[FrostKing]

I never saw Pelé play. I was raised on him being the standard. Jokes in school growing up "score like Pele"

The Bill Russell of soccer is fair. And both are in my Top 5

[dunkman]

Unfortunately only saw Maradona from 90s onwards, and I have to say I'd take 30 y.o Messi over Maradona 100 times out of 100, but from video and statistics Maradona's prime came early and also ended prematurely (for obvious and well known reasons). Clips from his Argentinos Juniors days are mind boggling, he was already amazing at 16 in an Argentinian League that had the top domestic talent, because at the time we were under a dictatorship that banned players from playing abroad in preparation for the '78 WC that was set to play in Argentina (which ended up paying off). So he was playing against top talent as well.
I did get to see all of Ronaldo's early years, which to me were his best. I can't get his Barcelona and early Inter (pre-injury) years out of my head, he was the best forward I ever saw apart from Messi (who I put above him only because of his ability to create for others as well). His speed, dribbling, and finishing ability was unmatched, true poetry in motion. My favorite non Argentinian player ever, above Zidane, Ronaldinho Gaucho, and Rivaldo (best of the rest IMO).
As for Pelé, I think every player who was the best of his generation deserves lots of respect, but it's difficult to compare between such different eras. I've looked at old videos (30s, 40s, 50s and 60s) and was overall underwhelmed by the level of play, so I have a hard time giving the best ever t1tle to a player whose best came 50+ years ago.

I was a kid when I saw play Pelé, maybe around year ‘77. I expected to see Pelé make some bicycle kick goals, and was unprepared to see him walking mid-field in irrelevant plays. Only long time later I understood Father Time catches up with everyone.

Maradona apparently started to consume coke in early ‘80 while in Spain playing for Barcelona. But younger Maradona was the best I saw ever. Talent was on another level compared to anybody else, though I didn’t see Pelé in his prime and almost everyone says was better, so I think it’s reasonable to assume he was the best ever. When Maradona was young, fouling savagely was still admitted, I think he had a leg broken by Athletic player at some point.

Messi compared to Maradona, benefited from Maradona’s addiction and also superior medical/health science. Tbh, Cristiano became total elite later, in his last seasons with United. Ferguson really had no clue how to use him on the pitch. Also by that time you would get a pair of yellows or straight red if carelessly fouling like before.

Ronaldo Nazario was one of a kind talent, not quite as electrified or frightening like Maradona, but was near. Too bad for his injuries. His pace, strength, vertical dribbling and finishing was unbelievable.

Zidane was a phenomenal player too, but became the best little later in his career, similar to Ronaldo. Obviously playing different positions (attacking midfielder vs left extreme). Really kudos to Cristiano Ronaldo for keeping into the best of his generation conversation for such long time with Messi.

[lefty]

Very overrated. Inflated his numbers against watered down compe ion in Brazil, MLScrubs and every sunday's barbecue game.

The Brazilian league was a actually great back in the day, all their stars were playing there, and regularly beat the best European teams in the intercontinental cup

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Brazil was winning world cups even when he was injured ('62). Top 5 all time player RIP

[Phenomanul]

Look at what Maradona's generation says about Pelé...

Should be sufficient an argument to understand the mystique of his greatness.

[DAF86]

Look at what Maradona's generation says about Pelé...

Should be sufficient an argument to understand the mystique of his greatness.

Fernando Niembro Why would anyone take what he has to say with any kind of relevancy?

Funnily enough, all the guys featured here are known Messi haters, except for Menotti who can't hate him publicly but it is known for downplaying Messi's game many times. Once, he even said Iniesta was better. That Newell's-Rosario Central rivalry runs deep, tbh.

[Phenomanul]

Personally, he's TOP 3 for me:

Elite Tier:
L. Messi = Pelé = D. Maradona


Tier II (no particular order):
Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldinho
Z. Zidane
G. Müller
F. Beckenbauer
J. Cruyff
M. Platini
A. Di Stéfano
Garrincha
P. Maldini


Tier III (no particular order):
Romário
R. Carlos
M. Kempes
G. Batistuta
H. Sanchez
A. Pirlo
Rivelino
Rivaldo
M. van Basten
A. Iniesta
Eusébio
G. Buffon
Cafu
G. Best
F. Puskás
K. M'Bappe
D. Bergkamp
T. Henry
Mágico González


Tier IV (no particular order):
Z. Ibrahimovic
Tostao
Zico
L. Modric
P. Schmeichel
Neymar
K. Benzema
A. Di Maria
X. Hernandez
L. Matthäus
R. Baggio
O. Kahn
B. Moore
R. Gullit
Sócrates
M. Neuer
R. Giggs
F. Rijkaard
L. Suárez


Tier V (no particular order):
W. Rooney
B. Laudrup
Kaká
F. Baresi
C. Puyol
P. Kluivert
Raúl González
Jairzinho
G. Hagi
S. Agüero
R. Lewandowski
J. Mascherano
D. Beckham
E. Cantona
L. Thuram
R. van Persie

[DAF86]

Brazil was winning world cups even when he was injured ('62). Top 5 all time player RIP

Pele's WCs are the only argument people have when analyzing careers between him and Messi to determine the GOAT, but those are team accomplishments and when you really dig deep into them, you realize in one Pelé barely played and in another he wasn't even Brazil's best players. And a case could be made for Brazil still winning all of those WC's even without Pelé. That's how stacked those Brazilian teams were. Imagine this current Argentina squad winning without Messi or Argentina winning without Maradona in '86. That's why despite the WC treble, most folks still place Messi and Maradona over Pele.