Who was the best Pele Or Maradona?
The 2010 World Cup of Football is upon us and the age old question which is a regular at the football debating table is on the lips of every football fan on the globe; who is the best footballer ever – Pele or Maradona?
Pele is frequently acknowledged as footballs most gifted player however, many believe that a certain Diego Maradona was in fact superior to Pele. Pele played the majority of his football in Brazil where defences where somewhat lacking when compared to Europe where Maradona played and secured 2 Scudettos and a Uefa Cup.
In Pele’s days as a footballer, the marking was poor compared to when Maradona ran rings around Terry Butcher in the 1986 World Cup to score perhaps the best ever goal seen in the competition. With tackles flying in Maradona dribbled with the ball from his own half and when confronted with Peter Shilton in goal even had the audacity to go round him to put the ball in the net. The 2010 World Cup has a mammoth task to compete with the sheer brilliance of both Pele and Maradona.
I am 37 years old and when discussing football with my 11 year old son recently was shocked when he asked ‘who is Maradona’? I spent a while finding the hand of god game to show him Maradonas infamous hand of god goal and his subsequent masterpiece.
I spent nealry half an hour watching the second goal in awe of who was perhaps a genious of football. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa will see Diego Maradona coaching Argentina. We will never see his genious on the football pitch again however lets hope for England football fans sake he is not as good at coaching as he was at playing, we will find out in June!
