I know I'm a few days late. I remember when Pele came to the States to play soccer for the Cosmos. He was on the cover of National Geographic's World Magazine for kids. He gave tips on how to become better at soccer. I remember spending hours kicking a soccer ball against the brick wall of our house based on his article of tips. For a couple of years in the late 70's soccer was big in America. That was all due to Pele. When he left, interest in America largely faded again until the 1994 World Cup.
It's hard to compare players from different eras. A few days ago, before Pele's death, I said Messi was the greatest. But when I watch the old videos of Pele, it makes me second guess myself. Pele was never given the opportunity to play for European clubs. He was forbidden by Brazilian government to do so. But anytime he played on the world stage against those club players, he dominated.
So hard to know who truly was the greatest. Does it even matter? He's part of the triumvirate. Messi, Maradona and Pele. But he definitely helped the sport spread across the globe. When people think of soccer they usually default to Pele as the player they envision. At least in my generation, most likely.
Greatness.
