Pelé or Diego Maradona? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
Endless arguments over the greatest player in the history of men's soccer can often see cheap hits aimed at Pelé, who died Thursday at age 82, with the claim that he wasn't tested in European leagues.
As Santos globe-trotted in the 1950s, '60s and ’70s to showcase its biggest star, Pelé got to measure up against teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Roma. Pelé and Santos often faced weak opponents during those tours, which were aimed mainly at making money. But beating Pelé’s Santos was a challenge taken seriously by host clubs, and they often fielded their top players in contrast to preseason tournaments now.
Pelé said he had offers to play for European clubs, including from Real Madrid and Inter Milan, but at the time “there wasn’t this need” for the great players to move to European soccer. He instead decided to go to the United States after ending his career with Santos in 1974.Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches and is the only three-time world champion, winning titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
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