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Pelé paid tribute to his all-time great partner Diego Maradona after the death of the Argentine legend at age 60, saying: “One day, I hope we can play soccer together in heaven.”
The three-time World Cup winner Brazilian has consistently been compared as Maradona’s closest competitor in debates and polls to decide the greatest footballer of all time.
Pelé, 80, sincerely praised Maradona, writing on his official Twitter account: “What sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend.
“There is still a lot to say, but for now, may God give strength to the family members. One day, I hope we can play soccer together in heaven.”
Maradona was crowned the best player of the tournament when Argentina won the World Cup in 1986
Maradona’s death was confirmed by the Argentine soccer association. He had been to a hospital in Buenos Aires after surgery to remove a blood clot in the brain earlier this month.
He captained his country to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986, then led Napoli to two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.
Lionel Messi, the best Argentine player of the current generation, wrote on Instagram: “A very sad day for all Argentines and for football. He leaves us but does not leave, because Diego is eternal.
Maradona, photographed here in 2010, had undergone brain surgery in early November.
“I keep all the beautiful moments spent with him and wanted to take the opportunity to send my condolences to all his family and friends. RIP.”
Argentina eliminated England from the 1986 finals in the quarterfinals, when Maradona scored twice. The first was blatant handball – ‘the Hand of God as Maradona described it – and the second an impressive solo effort.
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Speaking on Monday Night Football earlier this month, Mauricio Pochettino recalled his experiences sharing a room with Diego Maradona when the two were teammates at Newell’s Old Boys.
Gary Lineker, who was playing for England that day, tweeted: “By far the best player of my generation and possibly the greatest of all time.
“After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he will finally find some comfort in the hands of God. #RipDiego”
Napoli’s San Paolo stadium in Naples was lit up on Wednesday night as a tribute to the late Maradona in memory of his glorious time at the Italian club.
Lineker added later BT sport: “I played for a team from the rest of the world at Wembley, when I was at Barcelona, all the great players like (Michel) Platini on the field were totally in awe of him.
“The first thing he did in the locker room was sit there in just a pair of shorts, juggling the socks on his left foot for about five minutes.
Then he went out onto the field and did something incredible, one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen on a soccer field.
Maradona almost single-handedly helped Argentina win the World Cup in 1986 with a 3-2 victory over West Germany in the final in Mexico City.
“He juggled the ball to the center circle, when he got there, still juggling, he went ‘bang’ and kicked the ball as high as he could, then he waited.
“He fell, he did ‘bang’ and he did it again. He did it 13 times and the most he did was walk three steps towards him.
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South American soccer expert Tim Vickery says Diego Maradona’s defining moment came with Argentina’s victory over England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals.
“We were all sitting there saying, ‘that’s impossible.’
The governing body of European football, UEFA, observed a minute of silence before all Champions League matches on Wednesday night in tribute to Maradona.
Boca Juniors, where Maradona made a name for himself before securing a world record transfer to Barcelona in 1982, tweeted: “Thank you everlasting. Diego everlasting.”
Asif Kapadia, who directed the 2019 film Maradona, tweeted: “I can’t believe DM is gone. It’s hard to process.
“He always seemed indestructible. I spent 10 hours with the man !! I touched his left foot. We did everything possible to show the world the man, the myth, the fighter that he was. The greatest.”
Maradona’s death was mourning around the world, but especially in his native Buenos Aires.
Peter Reid, another member of the England team who suffered from Maradona’s left foot and left hand in 1986, spoke highly of the South American’s incredible soccer gift, on display in glorious fashion during the 2-1 quarter-final victory.
He said: “The crowd in the stadium erupted in terms of scoring the first goal. There were some of us running after the Tunisian referee but they didn’t see him. It was nice the way he did it, but for us on the field, it was obvious.
“My Spanish is not very good and his Scouse was not very good, but I met him in Dubai a few years ago and I asked him about it. He laughed and reiterated that it was the ‘Hand of God’. I will argue, because he did. cheating. But as bad as that was, the second was a great goal. “
Regarding that second goal, a solo slalom effort voted best of the century in a FIFA online poll in 2002, Reid said: “It’s something I’ve seen once or twice, if I’m honest. We were playing someone who was at the absolute peak of his career and as bad as the first goal was, that was extraordinary.
“I saw it happen to the great Alan Hansen in 1981 for the first time. He had this in his locker. He made people, like the number 16 [Peter Reid], look silly. “
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Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler recalls seeing Diego Maradona in the World Cup quarter-finals with England in 1986.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said: “There was a banner in Argentina some time ago that said ‘it doesn’t matter what you’ve done with your life, it matters what you’ve done with our lives.’
“I think Maradona would have done it in our generation. There are some incredible players in history, and he is one of them.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, who along with Messi is considered one of the best current soccer players, also offered his own personal tribute.
The Juventus and Portugal star posted on Twitter: “Today I say goodbye to a friend and the world says goodbye to an eternal genius.
“One of the greatest of all time, an incomparable wizard. He leaves too soon but leaves a limitless legacy and a void that will never be filled. RIP. You will never forget it.”
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