“Pelé was the greatest long before he was and continues to be even after he was.”
Armando Nogueira’s phrase brilliantly closed a text published in the 50th anniversary of the King of the magazine Placar in 1990. It was originally in the book “O Voo das Gazelas” and became even more relevant the day after Pelé left life to become keep in immortality.
Pele will always be the greatest.
One of the great challenges for anyone who writes about football is to compare what you see at ten years old with what you analyze at 50. Someone will say that we know by heart which teams the King played for, because the times were more romantic and the lineups were repeated for ten years.
Is not true. During his 20-year career, teams have changed, and only one thing hasn’t changed: Pelé has always been the reference.
It was like that in Santos champion of São Paulo and Rio-São Paulo in 1958, with Manga, Ramiro and Dalmo; Getúlio, Urubatão and Zito; Dorval, Jair, Pagão, Pelé and Pepe. In the world bi, with six different holders. In the 1969 São Paulo Trio, with Cláudio, Carlos Alberto, Ramos Delgado, Djalma Dias and Rildo; Clodoaldo and Negreiros; Edu, Toninho, Pele and Abel.
The classic Santos of Gylmar, Lima, Mauro and Dalmo; Zito and Calvet; Dorval, Mengálvio, Coutinho, Pelé and Pepe played with the 11 together only ten times. It won nine and lost one to Botafogo.
All these teams revolved around Pelé. The national team revolved around Pelé, and the world revolved around him, starting from his second World Cup game. Dragged, sweaty, suffered, the 0-0 tie against Wales persisted until Didi handed the ball to Pelé, in the 21st minute of the second half. The subtle touch went just over the head of defender Mel Charles, and the chewed shot eluded goalkeeper Kelsey.
Names that are in the books just for Pelé. As well as that of Zaluar, goalkeeper for Corinthians de Santo André, who conceded his first goal. Andrada, from Vasco, who suffered the thousandth. Nildon, Bahia defender, criticized by his club’s president for having avoided the thousandth goal in Fonte Nova: “You took Bahia out of history!”.
Criticized when talking about Edson Arantes do Nascimento’s relationship with the discovery of a daughter out of wedlock, Sandra Regina, generous and attentive to each fan. I met Pelé in 1992, in a hunt for the missing cups of the Interclub World Cup.
Pelé made an appointment with the editor Celso Unzelte, from Placar magazine, but this young reporter had the mission to find the trophies in a messy room, full of trinkets, in Vila Belmiro.
Pelé arrived punctually at 5 pm. He got out of the Mercedes that drove him and walked 50 meters. As he approached the elevator, he came across a gentleman, eyes wide and holding hands with his daughter, who was no more than five years old. “Pelé… Pelé… She really wants your autograph”, asked the father.
The King bent down, signed the little girl’s Santos shirt, got up, greeted the old man and asked his name. He smiled. Just then he entered the elevator.
The bowls were never found. Santos has replicas in its Memorial of Achievements, replicas that it could only make because Pelé raised the originals. Just as he helped embroider three of the five existing stars above the CBF shield.
For 80 years, it has been discussed whether Di Stéfano was better than Pelé, if Maradona was greater than Pelé, if Messi scored more goals than Pelé in official matches, if Cristiano Ronaldo is stronger than Pelé… And the reference is always Pelé.
Forever it will be Pele.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
