The football world is in mourning. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, died this Thursday, December 29 in Sao Paulo, Brazilat 82 years old.
Thus, the world has lost two of the greatest football references, who have left a legacy that has passed generations: Pelé and Maradona.
(Also read: Pelé died in Brazil: the world mourns the king of soccer).
The Argentine will have two years ago due to cardiac decompensation that will end up with pulmonary edema; for his part, the Brazilian legend left this Thursday, after being hospitalized for a month at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital because of the colon cancer that he suffered.
I fought with Diego Maradona.
Both starred throughout their lives moments of distance and discrepancies. In addition, his fans argued for decades over who of the two was the best footballer in history.
The first meeting between two of the greatest in history took place in 1979 thanks to the magazine ‘El Gráfico’, which organized the meeting in Rio de Janeiro, when Maradona was only 19 years old and played for Argentinos Juniors.
(You can read: Pelé: the best plays that he invented and that the cracks continue to repeat).
In that meeting, Pelé gave the young Maradona, who by then was already astonishing the world, a ball and an autographed Brazil jersey.
However, the relationship between the two changed and suffered ups and downs over the years, so there were times when they did not speak. Even so, Maradona convinced Pelé to attend ‘La noche del 10’ in 2015, when on Channel 13 in Argentina It allowed him to do a 13-episode program. The Brazilian was her first guest.
The two stars met again a year later, in 2016, in Paris. Their last meeting in person was in 2018, at the World Cup draw in Russia, where they posed with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(We recommend: Farewell to the king of football: this is how Pelé is fired in the world).
Pelé’s farewell to Maradona
One day, I hope we can play ball together in heaven.
On November 25, 2020, the day Diego Maradona diedPelé dedicated a meaningful message to him in which he assured that he had lost a friend and that he hoped to play with him in heaven one day.
“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 the family strength. One day, I hope we can play ball together at the Heaven,” Pele wrote.
What sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. There is still a lot to be said, but for now, may God give strength to the relatives. One day, I hope we can play ball together in each other. pic.twitter.com/6Li76HTikA
— Pele (@Pele) November 25, 2020
