Analyses 3
In the article, “Why Pele will always stand above Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the world,” author Robbie Blakely argues how Brazilian superstar “Pele” should still be considered the best soccer player of all time despite arising stardom from the likes of current players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. To support his claim, Blakely incorporates statistics such as Pele having scored 448 goals in his first 350 games, as well as having won three World Cups, an achievement unsurpassed by any player. He then acknowledges how it is difficult to judge who the best player of all time is since soccer has evolved over the forty years since Pele retired. To dismiss any opposition, Blakely argues that it is now easier to score goals with today’s modern balls, lighter and more unpredictable to goalkeepers, which implies it was more difficult scoring during Pele’s time period. This author, however, has also left out many statistics of today’s superstars.
I, on the other hand, believe Pele is extremely overrated and that there are several other players who deserve the title of “World’s Greatest” more than him. For one thing, I firmly believe the difficulty of soccer today is greater than it was fifty years ago. Teams are much more organized now, with players physically superior as a result of our technological advancements and discoveries. Jonathan Liew’s article, “Why Pele is Overrated,” pinpoints that despite having scored 1,283 goals during his career, “hundreds of Pele’s goals came in friendlies, against up-country teams or down-at-heel invitational sides. Pele scored against the very best, but he scored against the very worst too,” (Liew). Not only that, but even though Pele won three World Cups, he couldn’t have done so without his superstar teammates. Other players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, continue to shatter records, such as most goals scored in a calendar year, in a season, in La Liga history, etc., while also winning three or more Ballon d’Or trophies each. Pele has had numerous of his records broken, and a good portion of his goals were scored against ‘easier’ opposition.
These articles of course our opinionated, as is my argument against. It is impossible to state who or what is the best in a category because all claims and reasoning are based upon what a person sees as the most important, and this is different for all people. Such claims have to be argued in a juxtaposition among both views, and this particular case is even more difficult because several different eras are being discussed. In the end, it is a person’s ideology that answers the question when pertaining to any argument or claim.
Blakely, Robbie. “Why Pele will always stand above Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the world.” Bleacher Report. 25 Feb 2014. Web. 5 Feb 2015.
Liew, Jonathan. “Why Pele is overrated.” Business Insider. 24 Jun 2014. Web. 5 Feb 2015.