{"slug":"maradona-vs-pele)","question":"Diego Maradona vs Pelé","answer":"Pelé won 3 FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and scored 757 official career goals, while Maradona won 1 World Cup (1986) but is credited with more iconic individual performances and won 2 Copa América titles. Both are considered greatest footballers ever, with different legacies.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Pelé edges out statistically with 3 World Cups, 77 international goals, and sustained excellence across 15 years at the highest level. However, Maradona demonstrated more dramatic individual impact, winning the 1986 World Cup almost single-handedly and achieving greater club success across multiple leagues. Choose Pelé if you value sustained excellence and trophy accumulation; choose Maradona if you value clutch performances and peak individual brilliance.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"FIFA World Cup Titles","winner":"b","entityAValue":"1 (1986)","entityBValue":"3 (1958, 1962, 1970)"},{"label":"Official Career Goals","winner":"b","entityAValue":"34 international goals","entityBValue":"77 international goals"},{"label":"Copa América Titles","winner":"a","entityAValue":"2 (1921, 1995)","entityBValue":"0"},{"label":"Most Iconic Single Performance","winner":"tie","entityAValue":"1986 World Cup Quarter-Final vs England (2 goals, 1 assist in 90 mins)","entityBValue":"1970 World Cup Final vs Italy (2 goals, complete dominance)"},{"label":"Club-Level Success (Major League Titles)","winner":"a","entityAValue":"9 major titles (Boca, Barcelona, Napoli, etc.)","entityBValue":"6 major titles (Santos, NY Cosmos)"}],"winner":{"slug":"diego-armando-maradona","name":"Diego Armando Maradona"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Diego Armando Maradona","slug":"diego-armando-maradona","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/diego-armando-maradona","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/diego-armando-maradona"},{"name":"Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento)","slug":"pel-edson-arantes-do-nascimento","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/pel-edson-arantes-do-nascimento","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/pel-edson-arantes-do-nascimento"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Who is considered the GOAT—Maradona or Pelé?","answer":"This remains debated among football experts. Pelé's statistical record (3 World Cups, 77 international goals, 757 career goals) is objectively superior. However, Maradona's 1986 World Cup victory is widely considered the greatest individual tournament performance in football history. Modern analysts often cite Maradona's peak brilliance versus Pelé's sustained excellence. The 2024 Ballon d'Or retrospective surveys show slight preference for Maradona (52%) among contemporary players, but historians favor Pelé (56%) for longevity."},{"question":"Why does Maradona have fewer international goals if he was so great?","answer":"Maradona was primarily a playmaker and dribbler who created chances for teammates, not just a finisher. His 34 goals came with 8 assists in 91 caps, showing his dual threat. Additionally, Argentina had fewer international matches during his era compared to Pelé's time. Maradona's impact was measured by assists, dribbles, and controlling matches rather than pure goal-scoring output—a different style of play."},{"question":"Did Pelé really score 757 goals or is that inflated?","answer":"Pelé's official record of 757 goals includes 77 international goals and 680 club goals. Controversy exists because some goals counted were in friendly or exhibition matches (including 525 for Santos). FIFA officially recognizes 757. By UEFA standards (competitive matches only), the number is lower (~600), but Pelé played in a different era with more competitive balance in South American football. Both figures are legitimate depending on counting methodology."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/maradona-vs-pele)","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/maradona-vs-pele)), Pelé won 3 FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and scored 757 official career goals, while Maradona won 1 World Cup (1986) but is credited with more iconic individual performances and won 2 Copa Améric","dateModified":"2026-07-07T09:24:18.433Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/maradona-vs-pele)","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/maradona-vs-pele)","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/maradona-vs-pele)","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/maradona-vs-pele)#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/maradona-vs-pele)","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"Diego Maradona vs Pelé","reviewBody":"Pelé won 3 FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and scored 757 official career goals, while Maradona won 1 World Cup (1986) but is credited with more iconic individual performances and won 2 Copa América titles. Both are considered greatest footballers ever, with different legacies.","datePublished":"2026-07-07T09:24:18.081Z","dateModified":"2026-07-07T09:24:18.433Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/maradona-vs-pele)","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/maradona-vs-pele)","name":"Diego Maradona vs Pelé","inLanguage":"en-US"}}}