- Brazil football great Pele died on Thursday evening after a battle with cancer in Sao Paulo Brazil
- Tributes from across the world have been flowing in since the death of the three-time world cup winner
- We take a look at some of the greatest quotes ever said about the legendary footballer
It’s challenging to put a value on how amazing Pele was as a football player, a global celebrity, a man of magic, a broker of peace, and an idol.
The Brazilian had one of the most incredible careers ever, thanks to his supernatural football ability, which propelled him to popularity across the globe. His immense influence on not just the “beautiful game” but also the lives of so many others is attested to by the numerous trophies he lifted, the prodigious number of goals he scored, and the immeasurable number of minds he captured.
Here are some of the most admirable things ever said about the iconic Brazilian; it’s clear that people have a lot of respect for him.
There are a lot of football-related statements about the great Pele, as you could anticipate.
Pele was admired across the world. | PHOTO: Ira L. Black – Corbis |
Pele, a player who inspired countless people and made the game look easy as anything, holds a number of records, including the fact that he is the only player to have won three World Cups. He also has a long list of other personal achievements.
His standing in the sport is undeniable; over the years, some of the biggest names in the sport have shown their appreciation for the Brazilian.
“When I saw Pele play, it made me feel I should hang up my boots.”
– Just Fontaine
“The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pele as a player. He was above that.”
– Ferenc Puskas
“Pele is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. All the others – Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini – rank beneath him. There’s no one to compare with Pele.”
– Franz Beckenbauer
“In some countries they wanted to touch him, in some they wanted to kiss him. In others they even kissed the ground he walked on. I thought it was beautiful, just beautiful.”
– Clodoaldo
“His great secret was improvisation. Those things he did were in one moment. He had an extraordinary perception of the game.”
– Carlos Alberto
“Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.”
– Johan Cruyff
“An artist, in my eyes, is someone who can lighten up a dark room. I have never and will never find the difference between the pass from Pele to Carlos Alberto in the final of the World Cup in 1970 and the poetry of the young Rimbaud. There is in each of these human manifestations an expression of beauty which touches us and gives us a feeling of eternity.”
– Eric Cantona
“Muhammad Ali was waving to the crowd, blowing kisses, doing the Muhammad Ali thing. As soon as he walked into the locker room and saw Pele…he was like a star-struck child.”
– Shep Messing
“There’s Pele the man, and then Pele the player. And to play like Pele is to play like God.”
– Eusebio
“I’m a Pele fan from way back when I was a kid, and then there was always this thing later about Pele and Maradona. I was young and impressionable as a kid but it was always Pele for me.”
– Sir Alex Ferguson
“Malcolm Allison: “How do you spell Pele?” Pat Crerand: “Easy: G-O-D.””
– British commentary team at Mexico 1970
“To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full.”
– Nelson Mandela
A Brazilian newspaper did well to epitomise what Pele meant to his country, as well as the world, following his final career appearance in a friendly between New York Cosmos and Santos:
“Even the sky was crying”
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