At the beginning of his career, Diego had confessed in an interview in the newspaper La Nación that one of his dreams was to meet Pelé, a great idol of his childhood. The good relationship between the two was maintained for several years and when Maradona considered leaving soccer in 1981, the three-time world champion sent him a letter personally asking him not to.
Once the maximum glory years of the Argentine Ten arrived, the relationship became a little more acrimonious. As indicated by their close environment, they let themselves be carried away by the media comparisons and transferred the football rivalry to the personal level. Maradona began to call him “el morocho” and even during the program “El Rayo” in 1998 accused the Brazilian star of having had his first sexual relationship with a child.
For his part, Pelé was not far behind and harshly criticized the Argentine: “Maradona is a bad example. He was an excellent player but, unfortunately, everyone can see what he did with his life”, he pointed. He also referred contemptuously to the football side: “Just look at the facts: I was clearly more complete. Do you know how many headed goals Diego scored? I answer: none. Pele, one hundred. And on the right? I scored a total of 1,281 goals. Doesn’t that tell you anything?” he stressed.
The historic transmission of the Night of the 10th
Once the crossed accusations have passed and the good relationship of respect and admiration has been resumed, Maradona had the Brazilian star as a guest in the first broadcast of his program in 2015, the Night of the 10th.
The program left unforgettable moments such as the mutual signing of shirts or Pelé singing with his guitar but without a doubt the highlight of the night was when the two legends played head to head with the ball making it clear that their talent was still intact.
Pelé’s goodbye to Maradona
On November 25, 2020 when Diego Armando Maradona passed away, Pelé left a heartfelt message on his social networks for his great friend and rival.
“What sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. There is still much to say, but for now, may God give strength to the family. One day, I hope we can play ball together in heaven.“, expressed the great Brazilian legend.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
