Reuters
Paris, June 10: Football legends Pele and Diego Maradona attended a historical friendly game here Thursday to spread the message of unity and peace, pursued by the forthcoming Euro 2016.
It was for the first time Thursday the two greatest players of all time appeared together in a game, leading a five-man side respectively, at the Palais Royal courts here.
Pele and Maradona, who had been at odds around the year 2000 when FIFA decided to have a vote to find the ‘Player of the Century’, walked slowly into the court after their teams, holding high each other’s hand.
During the vote 16 years ago, Maradona won the online poll comfortably with about 53 per while the ‘football family’ comprising officials, coaches and journalists, voted overwhelmingly for Pele (72 per cent).
At the awarding ceremony in Rome that year, FIFA decided to split the award in two and announced Pele and Maradona as the two greatest players of all time. Since then the two have been at loggerheads.
“It is a great moment of closeness together,” said Maradona at the scene. “It is so nice to have Pele so close here with us today and to see he is so happy. Such a great feeling.”
Pele stated: “It’s a big moment and pleasure for me, because we come here together for the peace, to talk about the peace. Thanks Hublot (organisers) to give us the opportunity, because today we have a lot of problems in the world.”
The match ended in an 8-8 draw with Maradona scoring twice – one an own goal. Among others, Rio Ferdinand, Crespo and Bebeto played for Pele’s team, while Maradona’s side had David Trezeguet, Marco Materazzi and Clarence Seedorf.
