Pele won a World Cup at 17 scoring a brace in semi and final. And scored 50-odd goals when he was 16 in one season, Waddle was decent at Marseilles, Gazza good for us in weak league
Pele was different class to players like Gazza and Waddle. Not even close. Best, a bit more of a case for comparison, but again the self-damage like Gazza means that Best's career is completely overshadowed by Pele of the 1000 goals, and three world Cup winning teams. Only people I can think of to compare with Pele are Maradona and Puskas. Messi may be on the way to that level, but needs a massive World Cup I think. Pele had everything, strength, skill, pace when it mattered, a great shot, could head the ball, and kept himself fit and playing at the top level for three separate decades. The teenage sensation of the 58 World Cup, the mature football genius of the 70 team. He was also a fantastic role model, with a great temperament, I never saw him sent off, though doubtless it happened.
And there were a few of those around in those days. I remember Brazil being almost literally kicked out of the 1966 W.C. finals!
I wish that Pele wouldn't come out with that 1,000+ goals bollocks. It cheapens him, especially when he's trying to take the piss out of someone like Messi, who was brave enough to leave his own back yard and doesn't count goals scored in it on his record.
Are you saying that goals in Brazil don't count PNP. I also think think that's unfair to Pele to call him out for staying in Brazil, it was quite common then. I'm quite happy for Pele to remind everyone how good he was, because some of the younger one maybe don't realise he was the best ever, and Messi has a long way to go before matching him.
There's also the minor issue that Argentine players tend to be compared to Maradona instead of Pele - and probably wouldn't have it any other way, truth be told.
i dunno,what about the Cheating Handball's, and the drugs,i would'nt want to be if i were a argentinian player
Pele's son was arrested for drug trafficking - whilst Pele himself has had to backtrack on comments about Robinho being a drug addict. He was also making excuses for Thierry Henry's handball against the Irish and said the result was fair, which is a statement that is as insulting as it is incorrect. Also, don't pretend Maradona wasn't a great player. He clearly was - why else do you think it clearly pisses Pele off that someone can be compared to him?
he was a great player,won't argue about that,it's just a shame about the cheating that went with it.he did'nt need to do it,that's the difference,Pele did'nt need to and did'nt
The difference is if you say Maradona's name to an English fan they think of the Hand of God (and bang on about it for twenty minutes...) which isn't the case with...well, everyone else on earth who knows who he is. Saying Pele didn't cheat is naieve, as well. Maybe he didn't punch the ball into the net in a World Cup match, but he was no saint on the pitch either. Maradona didn't clog his opponents like Pele did, for a start - and before you say that's what the game was like then, Bobby Moore and Danny Blanchflower didn't clog opponents at the time.
i saw Pele many times and never saw him clog anyone,i saw him kicked and hacked out of the world cup in1966 though
No, I'm saying that goals scored in friendlies don't count and that goals scored for the NY Cosmos are probably pretty meaningless, too. Including his national service games is probably widely regarded as taking the piss, frankly. Gerd Muller probably has a slightly better goalscoring record, if it's taken properly. No idea why he always seems to be glossed over.
With the obvious exception of Beckenbauer (and perhaps Klinsmann) German players always get ignored in debates about great players, just as the achievements of their national team were always underrated - or cited as some great crime being committed against football. It;s only in the current European Championship cycle where the team are being talked up, instead of the usual whispering campaign of them not being up to scratch compared to past teams - the ones who we were told were undeserving winners of whichever tournament.
Fair comments PNP, taken as a pure goal scorer Muller is right up there with Puskas. I don't know Messi's and Ronaldo's stats, so I'll leave that for someone to tell me. But whle in my lifetime Muller was the best goalscorer I ever saw (yep even better than Greavesie), he was nowhere near the player that Pele was, As all round players neither Muller or Greavesie would get in my top ten Pele Maradona Puskas Messi Cruyff Beckenbauer for sure The other 4 I'd need to think about - unfortunately it probably wouldn't include an Englishman which is a terrible shame, but there it is Probably Di Stefano Zidane Henry get me to 9, and there's probably one totally outstanding player I've forgotten to make it 10. But no it wouldn't be Best, like Gazza too much self-destruction the one possible Englishman for me, Bobby Charlton
i think i would have to have Bobby Moore in there. i'll alway's remember the tackle on Pele in the 1970 world cup,probaby the best i've ever seen not only did he bide his time,he took the ball easily and even set up a counter attack
