Pele's Quotes & Sayings

Messi is the best player ever. And this is said by someone who has seen Maradona and Pele play. — Adriano Galliani

It was with a homosexual, I was barely 14 years old. But let's be fair, I wasn't the only one who did it. He was a man in Bauru that all our team visited. — Pele

If you don't give education to people, it is easy to manipulate them. — Pele

I think I've always had the shots. But in the past, I've suffered too many mental lapses. Now, I'm starting to get away from that and my mental discipline and commitment to the game are much better. I think I'm really taking a good look at the big picture. That's the difference between being around for the final or watching the final from my sofa at home. — Pele

Fella's a genius. Best ever by a distance in my life time. Never really saw Pele ... Souness, Gullit, Venables and now Rooney agree Messi is the best they have seen. He plays a game with which we are not familiar. — Gary Lineker

Unless your kid is Pele Jr., they're not going to be able to feed themselves from soccer. If your kid knows how to play soccer, but not make dinner, you have done them a disservice. — Alton Brown

I am not Pele or Maradona — Robbie Savage

When you play against dirty players or very tough players, it's easy to escape because you know what they're going to do. But when the player is tough but intelligent, it's much more difficult. — Pele

I sometimes lie awake at night and wonder why I am still so popular and, to be honest, I don't know. — Pele

The head talks to the heart and the heart talks to the feet. — Pele

We're not great friends, but I admire him. If he thinks he's the best player of the century, that's his problem. — Pele

The level of football in England is the top. English football is the leader in the world. — Pele

If you ever want to be a decent player, you have to be able to use both feet without stopping to think about it. — Pele

The best player ever? Pele. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pele was better. — Osvaldo Ardiles

Brazil is a country I hold very dearly. I've got followers there who I've been interacting with for years, as well as fellow artists like Ivete Sangalo, and it also has huge figures like Pele. I'd love to go to that World Cup - I'm not sure in what capacity, but I'll definitely be there. I know that nobody wants to miss it, least of all me. — Shakira

It's difficult to talk about Pele because I didn't see him. — Thierry Henry

Great teams are not made up of many well-rounded players. Great teams are made up of a variety of players, each having their own strengths. — Pele

As she descended below the floor level of the loft, her former partner in juvenile crime was revealed to her from scuffed paniolo boots, up a long, muscled body that appeared to go on forever, to a venerable black Stetson. His cowboy look was new to her and it suited him. When she backtracked to his Hawaiian-sky blue eyes, she swayed under the impact and abruptly sat down. Any stair step would do." Noelani Beecham, Pele's Tears — Sharon K. Garner

You must respect people and work hard to be in shape. And I used to train very hard. When the others players went to the beach after training, I was there kicking the ball. — Pele

I don't think I'm a very good businessman. I act too much with my heart. — Pele

When you control the ball you control the score — Pele

Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic. — Osvaldo Ardiles

Always when I come to the field, I try to do my best for other people. — Pele

I have to trust something that gives me power; I have to believe in something, but in my career I have a lot of moments I cannot explain with God. — Pele

People always ask me: 'When is the new Pele going to be born?' Never. My father and mother have closed the factory. — Pele

The best of all was Pele, who is a mixture of Di Stefano, Maradona, Cruyff and Leo Messi. — Osvaldo Ardiles

When I was playing, they said soccer was a man's world and women should remain on the sidelines, all I can say is I'm glad I never had to go up against Mia Hamm — Pele

The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning. — Pele

I love people. I wanted to be with the people. I wanted to give something back what I get from football, because God gave everything to me. — Pele

I'm a Pele fan from way back when I was a kid, and then there was always this thing later about Pele and Maradona. I was young and impressionable as a kid but it was always Pele for me. — Alex Ferguson

Football is the best, is the biggest sport in the world. — Pele

Brazil's always had great players, both at home and abroad, but we need to put all that talent together and mould a team out of it. — Pele

I played for Santos at 16, and we had an excellent team, so it helped a lot. And then I played for Brazil at the Maracana against Argentina. So I get more experience. This was one year before the World Cup, and it made a lot of difference. — Pele

Brazil is crazy about football. People, they wait for this moment, but this doesn't mean we are going to win the championship. That is the problem. — Pele

Brazil, always they buy from the United States. The first who was sell to the United States was football. — Pele

That's great, tell him he's Pele and get him back on. — John Lambie

A lot of people, when a guy scores a lot of goals, think, 'He's a great player', because a goal is very important, but a great player is a player who can do everything on the field. He can do assists, encourage his colleagues, give them confidence to go forward. It is someone who, when a team does not do well, becomes one of the leaders. — Pele

6. ANDRES INIESTA - SPAIN (No matter what they say six is better than seven) 5. DAVID BECKHAM - ENGLAND (High five!) 4. KAKA - BRAZIL (I'm number four on the list but number one in your heart) 3. DIEGO MARADONA - ARGENTINA (I'm the trifecta!) 2. LIONEL MESSI - ARGENTINA (Watch out I'm right behind you.) 1. PELE - BRAZIL (Knock knock, who's there? Best, Best who, Best Ever) — Alex Trost

My favorite television show of all time is 'Hill Street Blues.' I think it's the show that is to television what Pele was to football or Muhammad Ali was to boxing. — Lennie James

People who say that only young people voted on the Internet, those who didn't see Pele play, forget that children are not orphans. There's always a father who buys the computer and perhaps influences their vote. I won the people's vote. — Diego Maradona

Ever since Pele's extraordinary talents blessed the world of football, black footballers have been accepted in the pantheon of the greats. But to achieve commercial recognition is somewhat different: it requires a form of adulation that also spells identification and role model. — Martin Jacques

Messi is undoubtedly a gifted footballer, like Maradona and Pele, and he's playing for the best club side in the world at the moment. He's successful and he's winning trophies, so it's only logical that he'll be voted the best player in the world. — Oliver Kahn

I played futsal growing up in Baurd. In futsal you need to think quick and play quick so its easier for you when you move to normal football. — Pele

There is always someone out there getting better than you by training harder than you. — Pele

No doubt, I am earning more money with my endorsements than I ever earned playing soccer. — Pele

Love is more important than what we can take ... Please say with me three times-Love! Love! Love! — Pele

It's not that difficult to play well and win titles in a team like Barcelona, but it's in the national side where you see a player's true class. That was the case with figures like Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane. With Spain, Iniesta has shown that he is among the best players of all time and that's why I rate him higher than Messi or Ronaldo. Even though the latter two have incredible scoring records for their clubs, they still haven't won anything with Argentina or Portugal respectively. — Boris Becker

I represent Brazil all over the world. Wherever I go I have to do my best, to not disappoint the Brazilian people. And that I've done. — Pele

I treat everybody the same. You know I love to be with people: the youngsters. — Pele

Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string. — Pele

For 20 years they have asked me the same question, who is the greatest? Pele or Maradona? I replay that all you have to do is look at the facts - how many goals did he score with his right foot or with his head? — Pele

If I pass away one day, I am happy because I tried to do my best. My sport allowed me to do so much because it's the biggest sport in the world. — Pele

When I retired, at that time I had a lot of proposals to play in Europe, England, Italy, Spain, Mexico. But I said no, after 18 years I want to rest, because I want to retire. — Pele

Neymar is undoubtedly the best player in Brazil. He deserves to play in the best team in the world; next to the best player in the world, Messi.He is a very good player with great quality and a great future.I have no doubt. For me, Neymar is a genius. — Pele

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do — Pele

Pele played in an era which had so many great players and in that atmosphere he stood out above the others. He was the complete player in every aspect as well as being a kind human being. Cristiano Ronaldo is young yet, and has many years ahead of himself. But as of now, I do not see anyone who can compare with Pele. — Eusebio

Pele really had everything - goalscoring ability, a great passer, good in the air, quick, he used both feet, almost the perfect footballer. Many words have been written about Pele but his record speaks for itself -more than 1,000 goals and three World Cup victories. He also played at a time when attacking players were not protected by referees as much as they are today. — Osvaldo Ardiles

The biggest family in the world is football, because football has more associate - and FIFA, for example - has more associates than UNESCO. — Pele

He is the greatest player in the world right now, without a doubt, he is the player who gives Brazilians the most joy.
(on Ronaldinho) — Pele

That save from Pele's header was the best I ever made. I didn't have any idea how famous it would become - to start with, I didn't even realise I'd made it at all. — Gordon Banks

A penalty is a cowardly way to score. — Pele

I've come to accept that the life of a frontrunner is a hard one, that he will suffer more injuries than most men and that many of these injuries will not be accidental. — Pele

Another reason why I am always close to the people, because the communication is very important. When I stopped to play soccer I continued to ... I continued to work with UNICEF. I did a lot of work with UNESCO. We did a lot of charity programme and games. — Pele

There's Pele the man, and then Pele the player. And to play like Pele is to play like God. — Eusebio

Yes, Ronaldinho is bigger than me. Exactly 4 centimeters. — Pele

Pele should go back to the museum. — Diego Maradona

Wherever you go, there are three icons that everyone knows: Jesus Christ, Pele and Coca-Cola. — Pele

I want to do my best to make the people happy. I play with my heart for the sport. — Pele

Edson is the person that supports Pele. Edson is the base. Pele just comes and adds the face. — Pele

Sport is something that is very inspirational for young people. — Pele

His left foot is fantastic. It's like Mozart. God gave Freddy the gift to play soccer. If he is prepared mentally and physically, nobody will stop him.
(on Freddy Adu) — Pele

I always had a philosophy which I got from my father. He used to say, 'Listen. God gave to you the gift to play football. This is your gift from God. If you take care of your health, if you are in good shape all the time, with your gift from God no one will stop you, but you must be prepared.' — Pele

The bicycle kick is not easy to do. I scored 1,283 goals, and only two or three were bicycle kicks. — Pele

Every kid around the world who plays soccer wants to be Pele. I have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man. — Pele

I can't be compared to Pele. I need to do so much more to be compared to Pele. Pele is fantastic. And he's unique. — Neymar

Pele was a complete player. I didn't see him live obviously, because I wasn't born — David Beckham

Brazil eats, sleeps and drinks football. It lives football! — Pele

The bicycle kick is not easy to do. — Pele

I think that France, Germany, Spain, Holland and England will join Brazil in the semi-finals. — Pele

To be a striker you need to be in good shape. — Pele

Critics have always questioned whether players like Pele from the 50s could play today. Lionel Messi could play in the 1950s and the present day, as could Di Stefano, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff because they are all great players. Lionel Messi without question fits into that category. — Alex Ferguson

It is good to be Compared with the best player [Pele]. But my dad told me about Garrincha's style as he moved forward, went up, attacked and dribbled. Garrincha's style is more similar to Neymar's. — Neymar

Everyone talks about the forwards, the players when they are scoring goals. But sometimes I look for the complete player not just the players who score but those who can pass. — Pele

Pele is the greatest player in football history, and there would only be one Pele in the world. — Osvaldo Ardiles

Most important is be a good man. — Pele

Considerable research on successful soccer players and their developmental history, affirms that a good percentage of them have spent time in isolation, working on soccer skills. — Pele

Football is the only sport where you put people together, it doesn't matter if you are rich, or poor, or black, or white. It is one nation. This is the beauty of football. — Pele

The first World Cup I remember was in the 1950 when I was 9 or 10 years old. My father was a soccer player, and there was a big party, and when Brazil lost to Uruguay, I saw my father crying. — Pele

The World Cup is a very complicated tournament - six games, seven if you make it to the final - and maybe if you lose one game you're out, even if you're the best. — Pele

Pele wasn't as gifted as George Best and I would definitely put George above Johan Cruyff because he had more heart, — Johnny Giles

How much soccer training is it needed to become a top player? It depends on the efficiency of your training routine. Setting long and short-term goals is a must. When planning out a soccer training regime, one must strive for realistic and consistent program that will diminish specific weaknesses. Broad versatility of soccer skills is the Nirvana of every dedicated trainee. — Pele

That was Pele's strength - holding people off with his arm. — Ron Atkinson

A team is not made up of isolated individuals. Always stay in the game. Don't be passive. Football is a team game. No one plays alone. Success depends on your whole team being a single unit. — Pele

I was really proud that I was named after Thomas Edison and wanted to be called Edson. I thought Pele sounded horrible. It was a rubbish name. Edson sounded so much more serious and important. — Pele

Of course, my father was a soccer player. He used to play very good. Then, when I was young, eight or nine years old, ten years old, I just want to be like my father. — Pele

I was born to play football, just like Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint. — Pele

Pele doesn't die. Pele will never die. Pele is going to go on for ever. — Pele

An artist in my eyes, is someone who can lighten up a dark room. I have never and will never find difference between the pass from Pele to Carlos Alberto in the final of the World Cup in 1970 and the poetry of the young Rimbaud, who stretches cords from steeple to steeple and garlands from window to window. There is in each of these human manifestations an expression of beauty which touches us and gives us a feeling of eternity. — Eric Cantona

Ronaldo has come through for the past two or three years and is the best in Europe. I think at the moment no doubt Ronaldo is the best player. — Pele

Leo [Messi] is the best player of all time - better than Pele, Maradona or Cruyff. There have been some great teams in history - Pele's Brazil, Cruyff's Ajax, Sacchi's Milan - but in the past 20 years this Barcelona team is the best. — Xavi