The greats who were enchanted by Pele – Statements that made history

The football world has been mourning the loss of one of its most iconic figures for a few hours now. Pele’s name has for decades been a reference point as the highest level to which every child, every teenager, every man who dreamed of a brilliant football career could reach.

The “king” was universally known and enjoyed universal respect both in the field of sports, culture and politics. Let’s see what they have said about him from the years he flourished in the stadiums until today:

“The best football player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pele as a footballer. It was something superior.”

– Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)

“When I saw Pele play, I felt like I had to hang up my shoes”

– Jist Fontaine (France)

“Pele was the GOAT. It remained at the top for 20 years. All the rest – Maradona, Cruyff, Platini – are below. No one can compare to him”

– Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)

“There is Pele the man and Pele the footballer. When Pele plays it’s like God playing”

– Eusebio (Portugal)

“In my eyes, an artist is someone who lights up a dark room. I have not yet discovered, nor will I discover, the difference between Pele’s pass to Carlos Alberto in the 1970 World Cup final and Arthur Rimbaud’s poetry. In both, there is the human celebration, an expression of beauty that touches us and gives us the feeling of eternity”

– Eric Cantona (France)

“In some countries they wanted to touch him, in some they wanted to kiss him. In others they wanted to kiss the grass he stepped on. It was great, just great…”

– Clodoaldo (Pele’s teammate at Santos and the Brazilian national team)

– The best of all time? Pele! Messi and Ronaldo are great players with specific abilities. Pele was better”

– Osvaldo Ardiles (Argentina)

“His great secret was improvisation. The things he did suddenly, in an instant. He had an incredible view of the game.”

– Carlos Alberto Torres (Pele’s teammate at Santos and the Brazilian national team)

“He was the most complete player”

– Bobby Moore (England)

“I came hoping I could stop a big player. I left convinced he was someone who wasn’t born on the same planet as us.”

– Costa Pereira (Benfica defender, after losing to Santos in the 1962 Intercontinental Cup final)

“Pele was one of the few to disprove my theory: instead of 15 minutes of publicity, he will have 15 centuries”

– Andy Warhol (USA)

“I have been a fan of Pele since I was a child. Then the conversation opened about the comparison with Maradona. For me it was always Pele”

– Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland)

“He was the only footballer who overcame the boundaries of logic”

– Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

“Before the fight I was telling myself that he is made of flesh and bones like all of us. I was wrong…”

– Tarcisio Burnic (Italy, scored Pele in the 1970 World Cup final)

“Sometimes I feel that football was invented for this magical player”

– Sir Bobby Charlton (England)

Malcolm Allison: “How do you spell the word PELE?”

Pat Krirant: “Easy: T.E.O.S.”

– Dialogue between two British commentators, at a World Cup match in Mexico in 1970

“Pele played football for 22 years and did more to promote world friendship and brotherhood than any ambassador”

– JB Pinheiro, Brazilian Ambassador to the UN

“I am Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America. You don’t need to introduce yourself, because everyone knows who Pele is”

– Ronald Reagan on his meeting with the “king”

“The moment the ball reached Pele’s feet, football was transformed into poetry”

– Pier Paolo Pasolini (Italian poet and director)

“Literally everyone wanted to shake his hand, take a picture with him. To say that you were at a party with Pele was the greatest honor.”

– Mick Jagger (English rock star)

“Watching him play was the combination of the brilliance of a child with the exquisite grace of a complete man”

– Nelson Mandela

RES-EMP

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