Pelé vs Maradona
The eternal debate — Pelé vs Diego Maradona. Three World Cups versus the Hand of God. A complete statistical and biographical comparison.
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Pelé
Brazilian · Born 1940
Three-time World Cup winner widely considered the greatest footballer of all time. Scored 757 career goals for Santos and Brazil.
View Full Profile →Diego Maradona
Argentine · Born 1960
Diego Armando Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, in 1960, and rose through sheer talent and
View Full Profile →Career Statistics
| Statistic | Pelé | Diego Maradona |
|---|---|---|
| Career Goals | 757 | 345 |
| Appearances | 812 | 680 |
| International Caps | 92 | 91 |
| International Goals | 77 | 34 |
| Hat Tricks | 92 | — |
| Top Speed | 30 km/h | 32.7 km/h |
| Distance Per Game | 10 km | 11.5 km |
| Major Trophies | 28 | 16 |
Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento — universally known as Pelé — grew up in poverty in Três Corações, Brazil, before becoming the most celebrated footballer in history. He joined Santos aged 15 and made his Brazil debut at 16, becoming the youngest player to appear in a World Cup final when Brazil won the 1958 tournament in Sweden at just 17 years old. His six goals in the knockout rounds included a hat-trick in the semi-final against France. He spent 18 years at Santos FC (1956–1974), scoring 643 goals in 659 appearances for the club, before a celebrated spell with New York Cosmos (1975–1977) that h…
Full Pelé biography →Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito, Buenos Aires in 1960, and rose through sheer talent and force of personality to become one of the most extraordinary athletes in sporting history. He started at Argentinos Juniors (1976–1981) before moving to Boca Juniors (1981–1982), then Barcelona (1982–1984) for a then world-record fee. His defining years came at Napoli (1984–1991), where he delivered two Serie A titles (1987, 1990), a UEFA Cup (1989) and a Coppa Italia (1987) to a club from the impoverished south of Italy that had never previously won the league. In 91 international appeara…
Full Diego Maradona biography →The Verdict
Pelé won 3 World Cups and scored over 1,000 career goals. Maradona won 1 World Cup (1986) almost single-handedly and is considered the most naturally gifted player in history. Most polls of football professionals favour Maradona; most statistical analyses favour Pelé.