RIP Pele

paulie21

https://news.sky.com/story/brazilian-football-star-pele-has-died-at-the-age-of-82-12775924

One of the greatest of all time. Sad to see a legend depart us.

ShamoBuc

Will rightly go down as one of the All Time greats.

Zico !

What a player what a gentleman what a legend Rip Pele

y0ssar1an22

RIP. only ever got to see highlights but one of the best by all accounts.

patsy sally

Would of loved too have seen him play,I can only imagine what a privilege that was for those who did.

StringerBell

One of the GOATs undoubtedly. May he rest in peace.

JP Liz V1

RIP

The Golden Miller

Rewatched hours of many of his games. Although I wouldn't rate him alongside Maradona or Cruyff, he's certainly the next best. Many overate him, while the other half underrate him, well from what I've seen.

I think he had parallels with his fellow countryman Ronaldo. Along with goals, deceivingly quick and strong, could drop deep and had great vision. A player with a great all round powerful and skillful game, when you strip back the goals

He was the favorite with the powers that be in world football, and in many respects a great ambassador for the game, and in other respects naive. His name did become synonymous with the sport, and in that respect transcended it with near mythical status.

He departs not long behind Maradona and Cruyff, whom many would of regarded as the holy trinity in the sport. He'll leave a big hole, one way or another. RIP

Mr.Nice Guy

It's cool how even though most of us weren't around when he was active, as kids we all knew the name Pele and how important he was to the sport. The sign of a true legend.

sligeach

Just heard the news. Rip. He finished playing long before I was born, but I respect his name within the game. He's held up there as one of the greats alongside Maradona, and now undisputedly Messi.

jacool

RIP to a legend.

Three-time World Cup winner.

The poor Italian tasked with marking him in the 1970 final was Tarcisio Burgnich. In a post-match interview, he said

"I told myself before the game, he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else – but I was wrong."

Of the opening goal of the 4-1 win, a Pele header, he said

"The cross came in and we both leapt as high as we could. Then I came down to Earth where I belong. And he stayed up there, where he belongs, and scored."

thebaz

Him and George Best started my obsession with football - caught the tail end of his career as a 10 year old.

seamed diffferent heroes to the likes of Neymar and Ronaldo today. more humble, yet brilliant.

jmayo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120044994#Comment_120044994

Ehh you do know that he was doing a Cruyff turn before Cruyff was ever heard of?

He only played in Brazil and latterly the States, but he was playing on Brazilian teams (club and country) that would dispatch the best European teams of the day.

There was an aura about him.

Asdfgh2020

Think he once said that George best was As good if not better than himself……funny how Best is not mentioned anymore in the list of GOAT’s……it’s Messi Renaldo and to a lesser extent maradona

WesternZulu

Understandably so...while Best was great it wasn't for long enough to be considered one of the true greats of the game like Pele.

patob

Neymar getting as lot of flak for not attending funeral, particularly with his Santos background and was serving a suspension with PSG anyway.

TipsyMcStagge

The first global football superstar and the only one to win 3 world cups the first as a 17 year old! A true legend way before my time but reading the comments of those who played with and against him tells you all you need to know. He is even more inspiring as a black Brazilian considering the racism they suffer in Brazil. RIP Pele.