Pele or Maradona? The Legacy of Football and an ongoing debate on greatness

Pele or Maradona? Debate Will Continue Raging Over Who Was Greater

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 great. ... But he thinks politically," Maradona said, in one of his kinder criticisms.

Pele called the Argentine, who struggled with addiction, "a bad example" and much more besides.

The entertainment value of Maradona's game makes him outstanding despite the fact that his goal scoring statistics are not as impressive as Pele's. Maradona had incredible technique, a wonderful first touch, could dribble like no other player, and was a great finisher.

Although it was one of the strongest leagues at the time, Pele played nearly exclusively in Brazil, which was not recognized for having strong defenses.

On the other hand, Maradona played in Argentina, Spain, and Italy and was successful playing every style of football.

The fact that Maradona nearly single-handedly won the World Cup by scoring some of the best and most enduring goals in football history is what distinguishes them the most from other teams.

Compared to Pele, Maradona had a superior touch and greater passing ability. Maradona's overreliance on his left foot is his one and only flaw. But that exact foot has magical powers. I rank Maradona higher than Pele in part because of the one-man World Cup of 1986. It didn't help that Pele was reluctant to depart from Santos. A star-studded Brazil team, Pele did wonders for them. But there weren't many stars on Argentina's World Cup-winning team in 1986. Everything hinged on Maradona. And he excelled in that examination.

Pele, who has 77 goals in 92 appearances for Brazil, is the country's national idol.Maradona, on the other side, has fewer goals on his scoring list. If you look closely, Pele led a strong team for Brazil when they won the World Cup, though. But Diego carried Argentina to the World Cup victory by himself. If Pele had been present instead of Maradona, would Argentina have won the 1986 World Cup? NO, is the answer.

Additionally, only a few people has the talent and guts to produce the HAND OF GOD, which is why Maradona did.

According to mythology, only two players in history can claim to have won the World Cup almost entirely on their own. Maradona in 1986 and Garrincha in 1962.

But I rank Maradona higher than the Brazilian due to his achievements at all levels, from South American clubs to European success.

In addition, Maradona worked his magic not just with the national team but also with Napoli, an Italian squad that attained previously unheard-of heights under the guidance of the Argentine icon.

When compared to Pele, Maradona still holds the top spot in my book for the straightforward fact that he never played for a team as good as Brazil's or performed similarly while playing for Napoli, yet he was still able to give them a distinctive makeover.

He controlled supreme from his South American Club play to his European rivals, which contrasts with Pele, who concluded his career without any diversity and only ruled in Brazil with Santos and then occasionally with the New York Cosmos.

Because he single-handedly guided his nation to their lone World Cup in 1986, Diego Maradona is the greatest. Garrincha has similar accolades with him, but Maradona was still like God's gift to enchant soccer fans everywhere for all of time. His ball handling abilities were simply mesmerizing and unparalleled to date. Additionally, he demonstrated his success in three nations, further demonstrating his superiority to Pele.

Whose Contrbution Was Bigger For His Nation and Why?

Maradona was by far the greatest player on the team as he led Argentina to a World Cup and a runner-up medal. Due to his drug use during the 1994 World Cup, which tragically ended a stellar career with Argentina, Maradona's legacy has been marred.

Although Pele won three World Cups, he was never the team's top performer even if it was to me, a lot of specialists might differ, even himself. Garrincha was Brazil's finest player in 1958 and 1962, which is why they won it in 1962. He was one of the finest players during the 1970 World Cup, but Jairzinho, another countryman, outscored him, proving that the victory was more the result of a collective effort than a single player's ability.

However, Maradona's legacy is stronger on a global scale. In my perspective, both have had enormous effects on their national sides and neither has had more of an impact.

Again, it should be remembered that Pele and Maradona occupied distinct places on the field. The significant goal differential is explained by the fact that Pele typically played in a more forward position whereas Maradona was a much more conventional playmaker.

Overall, these two legends created a new concept for the beautiful game, even if they played on different leagues and the game was much more complex in terms of tactics back then, Pele walked so that Maradona Could run, different eras, same talent, a king and a god, both the greatest of all times!