Pelé passed away on Thursday, December 29 of 2022 at the age of 82. Before this GOAT debate came into question due to Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s appearance, there was another debate that compared him and Diego Maradona. At around the same time Leo won the most recent World Cup for Argentina, a video of Pelé went viral. One would think this video is just like the rest of them but no, it describes why he was soccer’s first mega star. This video is titled, ‘Pelé did it first’.
Once you play the footage, you can see absolutely every single signature move all legendary footballers who came after Pelé made their own. We can see Neymar‘s classic lobs, Messi‘s spectacular dribbles, Cristiano Ronaldo‘s unforgattable overhead kick against Juventus, even Ronaldinho‘s famous ‘elastica’. All those moves were done by Pelé before any of them did it. Does this prove Pelé was the best footballer who ever lived? Maybe. It sure does prove he was way ahead of his time and one of the best ballers this sport ever saw.
Pelé’s legacy in soccer
The fact that watching these videos and you see a speed similar to what we get today is already mindblowing. But watching some of the oldest football analysts and former players talk about him is what makes us scratch our heads. The younger generations are enjoying Messi and Cristiano, a generation before that enjoyed Zidane, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Before that, they got to experience Maradona, Platini, and Matthaus. The 1970’s brought us the legendary Cruyff vs Beckenbauer rivarly. But those who got to see Pelé and are still alive will tell you there is no better player than him.
Plus, Pelé was the first true global super star in soccer. Alfredo Di Stéfano was also known around the world but he didn’t have the same impact because technology didn’t allow the world to fully enjoy his game. Pelé was shown in television screens all around the world and became a household name in every single country. So every time you hear this debate about who is the greatest of all-time, come back to this article and play the video above. Never forget that Pelé did it first. May he rest in power.