Links

How do you like our site?

Soccer Legends

Pele
Pele has been one of the most influential players in soccer history. He is still mentioned as one of the best players of all time, even two decades after his retirement. His name is followed by a legacy of superb ball control. Pele was also remembered for his amazingly smart play. He was widely remembered as the best player in all of soccer. Pele has also brought fame and recognition to Brazilian soccer along the way.
Pele’s journey to the top was amazing one. His path was not paved by gold, but was carved along the way through hard work and determination. Born a poor farmer, in Tres Coracoes , Brazil in 1940, Pele earned his way to fame. However, his birth name was not Pele, it was Edson Arantes do Nascimento. His father, Dondinho, had played at one time, and he taught his son everything he knew. Pele worked hard and began playing for a youth club as a teenager.
One lucky day, Pele was spotted playing soccer by Waldemar de Brito. Brito talked to Santos , a major Portuguese soccer club. He claimed that Pele would be the best player in the world. Pele’s hard work paid off in 1956, when he was signed by Santos.
After playing for only one year, Pele made his international debut was on July 7^th, 1957 . This was a game in Argentina verses Maracas. Another year later, at the age of 17, Pele was recruited for the Brazilian World Cup soccer team.
Young Pele began to attract attention after scoring a game winning goal to send Brazil to the next round. In the next game, Pele scored three goals. By the end of the cup, Coach Vincente Feola had gained confidence in the young star. Another two goals in the final ensured that Pele’s position as a superstar.
Pele continued to score for the Santos soccer team. His phenomenal scoring helped lead Santos to the 1962 and 1963 intercontinental championship. However, Pele didn’t continue to flourish in the ’62 and ’66 World Cup. An injury caused him to miss most of the ’62 World Cup in Chile , though his team still won the cup. He was injured again in 1966 at the World Cup in England . However, in 1970, Pele put aside all rumors that he was no longer the “King of Soccer”. He scored the opening goal of the final game which led to a thrilling victory for the Brazilian team.
Pele’s success around the world helped him be able to claim a roster spot on the New York Cosmos. In 1975, only one year after his initial retirement, he was signed by the Cosmos for seven–million dollars over three years. This helped attract more attention to soccer in North America and to draw interest towards the NASL (North American Soccer League). In October of 1977, Pele’s NASL career ended. The New York Cosmos played the Santos team he played on many years ago. He played one half for each team.
Over his career, Pele scored 1,280 goals in only 1,380 games. He is second only to Arthur Friedenreich, another Brazilian player. He holds the world-record for hat-tricks (where a player scores three goals in one game) with 92. He also has 97 goals at the international level, a feat that can hardly be matched. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1993.
During the rest of his life, Pele wrote many books and worked towards peace. He wrote many hit autobiographies. He was also the composer of some music for movies such as the movie Pele, based on his life. He starred in a few documentaries during the time too. Through UNICEF, Pele has also made large efforts to help children’s causes. In 1978 he was awarded the International Peace Award. The Brazilian ambassador to the UN once said Pele had, “spent 22 years playing soccer, and in that time he has done more for goodwill and friendship than all of the ambassadors ever appointed."
Over his lifetime, Pele has done wonders for the world. He proved to us that hard work can pay large dividends. Through his soccer skills he made us believe in the impossible. His work off the field for peace and charities has helped make the world better for people all over. Pele may very well have been one of the best soccer players and peace activists that the world has seen in recent years.
Diego Maradona
Maradona, though facing many accusations, is considered one of the most skilled professional soccer players of all time. He was an amazing ball handler. He found creative uses for all of his differing skills. This resulted in an usual flair that was uncharacteristic in many players.
Diego Armando Maradona was born October 30^th, 1960 in Villa Fiorito a small town outside of Buenos Aires , Argentina . He grew up playing soccer. He was a ball boy at the halftime of Argentinos Juniors matches. He would entertain the fans during halftime with his amazing foot skills. Diego was so good that fans would begin to chant “Let him stay”.
He started his career at Argentinos Juniors at the young age of fifteen. Later he joined the Bocas Juniors. Maradona also led the Argentina youth team to win the youth World Cup in 1979. After the 1982 world cup in Spain , Maradona joined the Spanish soccer club, Barcelona . He played here for two years before moving to an Italian soccer team.
Napoli , a highly prestigious club in Italy became home to Deigo in 1984. Here, he helped Napoli win two Italian Championships. Maradona also led the team to one Coppa Italia, one UEFA Cup, and one Supercoppa Italiana.
Maradona became the hero of Argentina when he led the World Cup team to a 1986 World Cup. He is said to have single handedly taken the team to the World Cup.
The downfall of the magicians’ skill began in 1994, following a World Cup match against Nigeria . The test showed that there was ephedrine in his bloodstream. This was banned by FIFA. He was suspended for an entire year afterward for this violation. The rest of the team faltered without him, and they were soon defeated.
After serving his suspension, Maradona continued to play for the Boca Juniors until 1997. On October 20^th, he retired from soccer.
Though Diego went through highs and lows in his life, his life was truly amazing. His skill on the field should remain in his legacy, not his off the field actions. With this in mind, Maradona was one of the premier players every to play soccer, and his creativity and flair should be remembered.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo. Though the name may not seem familiar to the average person, he has done wonders toward the soccer world. His ball control, speed, and scoring skills help make him among one of the best soccer players ever.
Luis Nazario de Lima (he later became known as Ronaldo) was born on September 22, 1976 . He was born in the Poor suburbs of Bento Ribeiro which was a small suburb of Rio de Janeiro , a large town in Brazil . He idolized Zico, a Brazilian soccer player. By the time he was twelve, he had begun playing on a youth club team. This team used a miniature soccer ball, which proved to be an important step in his development as a player. The small ball helped build superior foot skills, a characteristic that was one of the skills that made him such a superb player.
He played was noticed at the age of seventeen by the senior World Cup team. Due to his young age, Luis was designated as a practice only player. Ronaldo sat on the bench as his country rolled the competition on their way to a gold medal.
His spot on the World Cup team gave him worldwide fame. Soon, Ronaldo got noticed by European club PSV Eindhoven. He became the top scorer on the team and soon he was signed by a Spanish club, FC Barcelona. He then moved to the Italian team, Internazionale.
In 1998, Ronaldo’s career began to decline. A disappointing performance led to a loss during the 1998 World Cup. The next season he suffered a major knee injury, causing him to miss multiple months. In his first game back, he played only seven minutes before injuring his knee again. Ronaldo faced twenty months of rehabilitation before reappearing in another game. He also had to undergo two surgeries. He played well in the 2002 World Cup and was later awarded the Player of the Year award for the third time.
He later was traded to Real Madrid. This occurred after several disputes with the coaches. On the first day that he was signed his shirt sales broke many records. Even when he was sidelined because of a knee injury, the fans continued to shout his name. However, once he came back, he was as good as ever. He scored in his first game back In the final game back, he also scored, marking his first season of twenty-two goals. He helped his team win the La Liga Championship title, which he had failed to do for his previous teams.
He continues to wow fans till this very day. His amazing ball skills have made him famous throughout the world. Ronaldo has changed the soccer world forever, and he will be remembered as one of the premier players in all of history.

Rules

Legends (back to top)

History

Leagues