h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just been reading Ormondroyd's excellent entry on Pele. I agree with him, I think it's between Pele and Maradona. There are plenty of other great players, but none as complete as these two. No-one in the current game quite matches the standard that Maradona set - quite simply, he single-handedly won the World Cup for Argentina in 1986, and no-one else can ever claim to have done something like that. Zinedine Zidane, possibly the best current footballer, played a large role in France's win in '98 but was suspended for some of the matches.

It was a shame he had to resort to drugs to try and regenerate the form he showed in '86 in later World Cups, but there was no doubt that he was the best footballer in the world of his generation.

So for this reason only I would personally choose Pele.

Personally I think maradona shades it. During peles day the players practically walked about the pitch. Pele may have been in the greatest team ever (1970) but as you say Maradonna practically won the tournament single HANDEDLY (1986).

Sure maradonna may have used drugs but he also managed to play at the top level with a pretty large cocaine habit, despite that he still made everyone look poor.

Glad you liked my Pele entry, Andy.

I'd personally go for Pele all the way in this debate. The game may have been played at a slower pace in Pele's day, but perhaps that gave greater scope for skill to shine, rather than brute force and athleticism always winning the day.

But this thread does raise the interesting question of whether you take a player's character into account when assessing their greatness or otherwise. It's hardly to Maradona's credit that he played at the top with a serious coke habit, and I don't think there can be much argument about the fact that Pele is the more admirable of the two as a human being. As a footballer - well, that's more debatable, but I'd still choose Pele.

Pelé is the man.

Don't forget that also outside the fields the attitude should count. Pelé cannot be compared to Maradona. Maradona is an arrogant coke nose. And he did not win single handedly. There was also Canigia and Burruchaga (sp?) to mention two brilliant Argentinian footballers.

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Oh and Zinedine Zidane... France... Who? Where were they. I think that 98 was just a stupid coincidence, a one-time give-france a chance coincidence, nothing significant. If it wasn't for Brazil losing that game the French wouldn't have won it.

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