Loyalty for a sports player is usually generational. For instance, if a family currently supports soccer icon Lionel Messi, there’s a high chance that their grandfathers supported Diego Maradona once upon a time. That’s how the generational love for Argentine players has come from the family.

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé is another name etched in gold in the soccer history books. In his prime, Pelé achieved milestones that soccer players of today’s generation can only dream about. However, the debate on who is the greatest of all time always remains an open-ended discussion.

Fans react to the soccer GOAT debate

Former American soccer player Taylor Twellman tweeted quite an interesting take he had on Lionel Messi and Pele. Twellman tweeted, “Pelé won 3 #WorldCup by the way. Messi finally won his and puts him into the conversation of the GOAT but I think we need to remember what Pelé did. I find the comparing of eras to be a waste of time TBH and won’t do it”.

Many consider Bill Russell a true basketball legend. Russell has gained a reputation as one of the greatest players in the basketball universe. The former U.S. legend was considered special because of his sharp mind and an undeniably high basketball IQ.

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Isn’t it the same for Pelé? Pelé, too, was renowned to be a class apart from everyone around him. The Brazilian legend was god gifted with the best soccer intelligence on the pitch and lethal finishing. Apart from being a highly skillful player, Pelé’s game was also very IQ based.

Are these comparisons really fair?

The recent discussions on public forums have not been too surprising. Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup for the first and possibly last time in his career. Discussions surrounding the former FC Barcelona veteran being the greatest of all time were honestly on the cards. Those discussions are now given further fuel because Cristiano Ronaldo has not won a World Cup yet.

Comparing two players of the same generation is fair. That’s because both of them would have played in the same conditions. Those conditions could be physical, technical, and psychological. Messi and Ronaldo have played in the same leagues almost throughout their career. Both soccer legends have also competed for the same trophies in the same era.

However, comparing someone like Pelé to Lionel Messi is a bit harsh and unfair to both legends. The way they played soccer in Pelé’s era in the 1960s was substantially different from how it’s played today. The discussion on who is the greatest of all time is very subjective to the era one lives in.

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Who is your soccer icon? Who do you consider the greatest of all time? Let us know in the comments below.