[thebest]

Pele won 3 WC and Maradona won one and in final in another one. So Pele is the winner no doubt or is it? If Pele did not play probably Brazil would have won 1958 WC; 1962's WC is known as Garricha's WC and Brazil team of 1970 is considered as the best team ever to play in WC. So Pele's contribution is to donning number 10 shirt in the best team on earth. Compare to that with 1986 team of Maradona. That team do not have the quality to qualify if Maradona did not play. A half fit Maradona bring Argentina in WC final. The team is so bad that they even could not compete with a second division team in any european league. Maradona make Napoli - a second division into Italian champion and probably UEFA champion (can anyone clarrify whether it is UEFA or Champions or now defunct Cup Winners) . Pele is so good that he even did not dare to play in european league. Dont tell me he did not lust for money otherwise how you could justify his playing in Cosmos or European teams did not take non-European player. Di-steffano an Argentine played for Real Madrid at the same time; so many Uruguayan were playing at Italian team at that time. Pele is so famous because of English writers who fall in love in him by exotic play and Maradona is infamous for his 'Hand of God' conveniently they forgot the best goal they ever saw in the same game and for his loud mouth. But Maradona is not the only loud mouth ; Pele is probably louder. Look at Ronaldo's comment few days back. I did not hear any argentine would insult Maradona such a way
BTW both are great player, But Maradona is greatest followed by Pele and other mortals. Why look at other great player. Pele had Dida, Garincha, Jairjinho; Platini had Tigana,Girres, Fernandaz; Cruef had Niskens, Croll, Rensenbrink; Puskas had Zibor, bozsik, Kocsis, Hidekuti; All great players themselves. For Maradona Buruchaga and Cannigia are only good player. Even the most complete footballer of the world De-stefffano has Puskas and Gento as colleague in Real Madrid. Even De-steffano can not make Spain a contender in 1962 due to poor quality of spanish player. So now calculate yourself who is the best?