Pele attempted to elegantly quell the eternal debate over who was the greatest footballer by inducting Alfredo di Stefano, Maradona’s compatriot and Real Madrid legend, in 2009: “People argue about who is better between Pele and Maradona. But Di Stefano is the best, he is complete,” he said, according to AFP.

“I was born to play football, like Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo to paint.” Pele on the FIFA website

In 1999, Pele spoke to Sports Illustrated about the weight of fame: “Every kid in the world who plays football wants to be Pele. I have a big responsibility to show them not only how to be a football player, but also how to be a man.”

“Penalties are a cowardly way to score.” Pele in his autobiography.

“Everything on earth is a game. A passing thing. We will all die eventually. We all finish the same, don’t we?” Pele in 1977.

“I’ve scored more than a thousand goals in my life and people always talk about the one I didn’t score.” Pele on England goalkeeper Gordon Banks’ extraordinary save during the Brazil-England World Cup match in Mexico on June 7, 1970 in Guadalajara.

“Pele does not die. Pele will never die. Pele will live forever. But Edson is a normal person who will die one day and people will forget about him.” Pele on football immortality and human nature for the British newspaper The Guardian in 2003.

“Pele is the best in history. He is right in front of Messi. I have never seen a player like Pele. I played with him in the New York Cosmos and when I passed him the ball I never saw him because he was too fast. Pele was pure instinct,” said Franz Beckenbauer.

“For me, an artist is first of all someone who can light up a dark room. I’ve never seen any difference between Pele’s pass to Carlos Alberto in the 1970 World Cup final and Rimbaud’s poems. Each of these human manifestations expresses a beauty that deeply moves us and makes us appreciate what eternity is,” said Eric Cantona.

“To watch him play was to see the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of an ideal man” – Nelson Mandela

Before Pele, 10 was just a number

“Pele is the only football player who crossed the limits of logic,” – Dutch master Johan Cruyff

“Before the game I told myself that he was made of skin and bones like everyone else … but I was wrong,” said Italian goalkeeper Tarcisio Burgnich, who has been tasked with marking Pele in World Cup finals since 1970. Received a yellow card in the 27th minute of a match won by Brazil 4-1 with a goal by Pele.

“Before Pele, 10 was just a number. Somewhere in my life I read this phrase. But this beautiful sentence is incomplete.

I would say that before Pele, football was just a sport. Pele changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, black people and, above all, he gave visibility to Brazil.

Football and Brazil raised their status thanks to the king! It is gone, but its magic remains. Pele is eternal!” – said Neymar.

>> Lionel Messi, post with millions of likes: “Rest in peace, Pele”

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>> Neymar’s emotional message about Pele’s death: “He turned football into art. It’s eternal”

>> Pele vs. Maradona / Eternal rivalry beyond the round ball

>> “O milésimo”, or the story of Pele’s 1000th goal

>> Pele: Three marriages, seven children and life in a soap opera