RIP Pele.

[VG_Addict]

https://nypost.com/2022/12/29/soccer...ealth-battles/

[Beanz]

Pelé's genius lay not in his ball control but in his ability to make the ball his companion. He ran without it, over it, around it, in front and behind it , knowing at all times were it was going, and what it would do . Watch him dribble and move with the ball and he never touches it, when he does not need to. That is the rare and sublime magic that makes him a legend that words will never be able to fully describe. He could catch a ball on his chest, caress it with his knee and then propel it off the end of his boot without it once hitting the ground because it truly was his friend. He knew what it wanted to do and he created the perfect conditions in which it could weave it's own magic. That and a smile that could melt icebergs will forever mark Edson Arantes do Nascimento out as O Rei. The King is dead, long live the King.

[Beanz]

[Primo Carnera]

Erling Haaland has already tweeted “Everything you see any player doing, Pelé did it first.” Which says it all, but I believe he watched a YouTube video with that title.
The thing is Pele suffers in the GOAT Debate, because there is way less footage of him compared to modern day players.
But this video is a real eye opener. Cruyff turns, Rabona, Scissor kick , everything, it’s almost eerie.



But the one thing I will always remember about Pele is :

If that had gone in, it would’ve been probably the most iconic clip ever. It was David Coleman’s commentary that was gold. He was speechless.
RIP Pele.

[Master]

Pele was the real greatest footballer. RIP legend.

[palmerq]

I was going to post that rounding the goalie without touching the ball, genius move from Pele, he's got a great claim to be the best ever, he scored all sorts of goals...although he doesn't score in the above clip :S

[Denilson3.0]

“One day, I hope we can play football together in the sky” - Pele’s message after Diego Maradona died in 2020.

Enjoy your game, legends

[TitoFan]

So... so sad. The passing of a true legend indeed. I remember having started a thread here on GOATS in different sports a while back... and to me Pele has always been the one in football (soccer).

But even more than that... he was charismatic in a way that few GOATs in their respective sports are. By all accounts a wonderful human being.

GOAT conversations will always bring up the usual names... Maradona, Ronaldo, Messi... and all are extremely deserving and a case can be made for all of them.

But to me Pele was it.

The timing of his death is inescapable... having occurred right after the conclusion of probably the greatest World Cup final ever.

So one ATG finally gets his championship... and soon after the GOAT passes away.

R.I.P. Pele.

[Spicoli]

Honestly never had the pleasure of his life experience and profession. Closest we came was when the SD Soccers held "Pele Day" in the early 80's and also saw him in "Victory" when it came out. An absolute legend of sport and into life. RIP Pele

[X]

What a player.

The only other sportsman in history to even approach Muhammad Ali for world fame, impact and legend.