Maradona VS.Pele Greatest Player Of All Time

[cronicmolemolereturns]

I'm gonna have to go with Pele what about you guys

 

[Retroballer]

Colston

 

[persiafly]

Zidane

 

[MetalMario]

Well in the old game of football I would say Pele, but the Modern game I would choose Maradona

Times have changed, we've taken training/fitness and contracts seriously and its a full time job when in times of Pele some players it was a hobby or second job.

Still, Zidane is just phenomenal

 

[marionthebarberian]

Messi.

 

[cronicmolemolereturns]

Originally Posted by marionthebarberian

Messi.

 

[DownByLaw]

Wait...There is a member on NT actually old enough & knowledgeable who watched both players in their prime to answer the question at hand?

 

[dland24]

Even though its soccer, this is still an A vs. B thread.

 

[canifly34]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Zidane

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

Wait...There is a member on NT actually old enough & knowledgeable who watched both players in their prime to answer the question at hand?

This is always the issue with any cross-generation comparison. It's an unanswerable question because the soccer world was completely different in Pele's time. Who knows how he would have done against Maradona' competition, or vice versa. You could analyze the question based solely on accomplishments, basically a resume comparison, and I think Pele would come out on top, but again that's not really fair to Maradona, who played in more competitive tournaments.

I think a much more interesting comparison is Maradona/Zidane. People will reflexively say Maradona, but looking deeper into it reveals a pretty strong case for Zidane.

 

[shatterkneesinc]

zidane
the man has won it all

 

[menacin methods]

Never seen Maradona or Pele play so i can't comment.
For me it's Ronaldo. If he never hurt his knee or had his weight issues the man could of gone down was the greatest ever.
But injuries are part of the game so can't use that as in excuse. Speaking of injuries anyone remember Micheal Owens?
Another dude with multiple injuries over and over

 

[duba169]

didn't zidane headbutt his team out of a championship though? that doesn't hurt his legacy at all?

 

[anthony stark]

I don't feel like making a new thread so I'm gonna ask this in here:

What happened to Ronaldinho?

This dude was bigger than Jesus Christ back in the 2006 WC, and he's not even on the team this year.

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by DubA169

didn't zidane headbutt his team out of a championship though? that doesn't hurt his legacy at all?

They were most likely going to penalties anyway, and the way Italy stepped up in PKs, France looked like losing with or without Zidane.

And it was Zidane's magic against Brazil and Spain and Portugal that even allowed France to get close to the Final. So no, I don't think it hurts his legacy. He would've benefited from winning a second Cup, but I think it's unfair to say he cost his team the Cup.

 

[rook]

Ronaldinho *Wink*

 

[rook]

Originally Posted by Anthony Stark

I don't feel like making a new thread so I'm gonna ask this in here:

What happened to Ronaldinho?

This dude was bigger than Jesus Christ back in the 2006 WC, and he's not even on the team this year.

Heard his work-ethic degressed alot & theirs some that say he's lost the love for the game. Sad man, dude was THE athlete that everyone knew back then and now...Wow. He's only 29/30 years old and still has some juice left tho

 

[carlos tevez]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Zidane

Not even Zidane would agree with this. Zidane is not on the same level as Pele and Maradona. It's not even close. Watch any interview with the greats of the game (Cruiyff, Beckenbauer, etc etc) and they will say Maradona and Pele are in their own category and everyone else is below them.

Zidane never carried France to a WC title like Maradona and Pele did for their respective countries. Go back and watch the 1998 WC...Zidane did not play well throughout the entire tournament...in fact, he was inconsistent that tournament (he missed 1.5 matches due to a red card against Saudi Arabia). In 2006 Zidane did not do anything in the group stage (missed the 3rd match due to suspension), played great against Spain and Brazil but didnt do much against Portugal (scored a PK goal) or against Italy (headed a ball off the bar then got sent off).

Zidane is an all time great but he is not even CLOSE to Pele or Maradona. I cant speak much for Pele since there isnt much footage on him but Maradona is easily the most dominant player of the last 30-years.

As for OPs question, if you read/listen to a lot of pundits, and former players, they basically say its a toss-up.

 

[xtapolapacetl]

Watching France SUCK LIKE A BLACK HOLE against Mexico as I'm writing this, and knowing how much they SUCKED in the 2002 World Cup makes me want to say Zidane. Their zig-zag up and downs with and without Zidane in 4 World Cups between 1998 and 2010 (2 with and 2 without Zizou) show how much this man could turn a team's performance, a complete 180. It's amazing that one man can have an impact on a 11-man sport.

Pele was great, but Brazil could do well without him as well, as was witnessed in the 1962 World Cup when Brazil won, but where Pele didn't play at all.
The same with Argentina. Maradona was insane in 1986, but they won the WC just 8 years earlier in 1978 without Maradona.

 

[carlos tevez]

France suck right now because Domenech is the most ******ed coach in history. You cant convince me a team with this much talent shouldnt be WC contenders. Watch them become Euro 2012 contenders under Laurent Blanc.

xtapolat, would Argentina have won the 1986 WC without Maradona? Compare his performance in 1986 to Zidane's in 98 and 06. Many objective pundits say Maradona single-handedly (no pun intended) won that WC for Argentina.

One more thing...I'm not going to say Pele > Maradona or Maradona > Pele but I think that Maradona sometimes does not get enough credit because of his erratic behavior, drug problems, getting caught doping in 1994 and ofcourse the hand of god goal.

 

[jd214]

PELE!!!

 

[ajiiiplatinum]

MARADONA.


Pele faced inferior competition and less sophisticated defenses.

 

[laseventrees]

Jorge Campos gets my vote.

 

[anygivensunday]

Landon Donovan

 

[platinumfunk]

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Zidane

Not even Zidane would agree with this. Zidane is not on the same level as Pele and Maradona. It's not even close. Watch any interview with the greats of the game (Cruiyff, Beckenbauer, etc etc) and they will say Maradona and Pele are in their own category and everyone else is below them.

Zidane never carried France to a WC title like Maradona and Pele did for their respective countries. Go back and watch the 1998 WC...Zidane did not play well throughout the entire tournament...in fact, he was inconsistent that tournament (he missed 1.5 matches due to a red card against Saudi Arabia). In 2006 Zidane did not do anything in the group stage (missed the 3rd match due to suspension), played great against Spain and Brazil but didnt do much against Portugal (scored a PK goal) or against Italy (headed a ball off the bar then got sent off).

Zidane is an all time great but he is not even CLOSE to Pele or Maradona. I cant speak much for Pele since there isnt much footage on him but Maradona is easily the most dominant player of the last 30-years.

As for OPs question, if you read/listen to a lot of pundits, and former players, they basically say its a toss-up.

and if you want to go with a toss-up in terms of skill... i think pele's resume trumps maradonas.
little fun-fact: within brazil, pele isnt even considered our greatest by many. a lot actually like to say garrincha was our greatest player ever.