Legendary Pele quotes on soccer, passion, Maradona and winning

Pele was one of the best players ever and has always been in the GOAT debate. The former footballer won the World Cup three times which is almost impossible for many players. So, what is Pele's most famous quote? Read on to learn more Pele quotes.

One of the famous quotes about Pele is if you see a player do it, Pele did it first. He was known to be a skillful, fast, and intelligent player who scored bangers for his teams. It is reiterated that he scored more than 1000 goals in his career though official sources have not confirmed it.

Famous Pele quotes

The former footballer has been praised all over the world for his prowess. He has inspired many, and his words have often resonated with the game's greats. Here are some of Pele's famous quotes:

Pele's quotes on success

He was considered one of the most successful footballers ever, as winning three World Cups is difficult. Most players do not even win a single World Cup trophy. Here are some of the best Pele quotes about success:

Maradona vs. Pele: Who is the greatest footballer of all-time?

Football

"Success isn't determined by how many times you win, but by how you play the week after you lose."

"If you are first you are first. If you are second, you are nothing."

"The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning."

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing."

Pele's quotes about football

The football world admired him for his immense footballing ability and intelligence. Here are Pele's best quotes on football:

"The World Cup is a very important way to measure the good players and the great ones. It is a test of a great player."

"The head talks to the heart and the heart talks to the feet."

"Great teams are not made up of many well-rounded players. Great teams are made up of a variety of players, each having their own strengths."

20 of the most inspiring quotes by Tiger Woods on winning

Tennis

"When you play against dirty players or very tough players, it's easy to escape because you know what they're going to do. But when the player is tough but intelligent, it's much more difficult."

"Jogo Bonito", which translates to "The beautiful game" in English.

"A team is not made up of isolated individuals. Always stay in the game. Don't be passive. Football is a team game. No one plays alone. Success depends on your whole team being a single unit."

Pele's quotes about life

He also experienced a turbulent life dealing with criticism, low moments and happy moments. He passed on his wisdom and experience through the following quotes:

"There is someone out there getting better than you by training harder than you."

"If you don't give education to people, it is easy to manipulate them."

"I think the kids always look forward to be always the big stars. Not only football, any profession. They want to be the best, singer, they want to be the best political, only the stars. But I think sometime the life give you opportunity, and long to be a big star, but you don't need to be a big star, you need to be beautiful, excellent man. Human being. This is the first."

25 of the most motivating Patrick Mahomes quotes on life and success

NFL

"I've come to accept that the life of a frontrunner is a hard one, that he will suffer more injuries than most men and that many of these injuries will not be accidental."

"If I pass away one day, I am happy because I tried to do my best. My sport allowed me to do so much because it's the biggest sport in the world."

Pele's quotes about love

Pele's love for the people and his family was incomparable. He helped many people and spent time with the masses. Here are his favourite quotes about love:

"A friend is part of your family."

"I love people. I want to be with the people. I wanted to give something back what I get from football because God gave everything to me."

Pele's quotes about God

As a firm believer in God, he had many reasons to thank him and believe in a higher power. Here are some of Pele's quotes about God:

England Women tick right boxes as they build towards World Cup

Football

"I always had a philosophy which I got from my father. He used to say, listen. God gave to you the gift to play football. This is your gift from God. If you take care of your health, if you are in good shape all the time, with your gift from God, no one will stop you, but you must be prepared."

"I have to trust something that gives me power; I have to believe in something, but in my career, I have moments I cannot explain with God."

Pele's quotes about Brazil

He was disgruntled at Brazil's loss to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup and had the following to say:

"A penalty is a cowardly way to score."

Pele's praise for other players

Pele was an incredible player, and one thing about great players is that they always appreciate each other. Here are some of his quotes praising other players:

Arteta targets end to Arsenal's Anfield hoodoo

Football

Pele's quotes about Maradona

"People argue between Pele or Maradona. Di Stefano is the best, much more complete."

Pele's quote about George Best

"George Best was the greatest player in the world."

Quotes about Pele's death

His death hit the footballing world hard and the whole world. Many praised him for his achievements. Here are some of the most memorable quotes about Pele's death:

"Pele doesn't die. Pele will never die. Pele is going to go on forever. But Edson is a normal person who is going to die one day, and the people forget that."

"The game. The king. Eternity."

- French President Emmanuel Macron

"My deepest condolences to all of Brazil, and in particular to the family of Mr Edson Arantes do Nascimento. A mere goodbye to the eternal King Pele will never be enough to express the pain that embraces the whole world of football at this moment. AN inspiration for so many millions, a reference of yesterday, of today, of always."

Spurs star Son becomes first Asian to score 100 Premier League goals

Football

- Cristiano Ronaldo

Quotes about Pele

"An artist in my eyes is someone who can lighten up a dark room. I have never and will never find difference between the pass from Pele to Carlos Alberton in the final of the World Cup in 1970 and the poetry of the young Rimbaud. There is in each of these human manifestations an expression of beauty which touches us and gives us a feeling of eternity."

- Eric Cantona.

Pele Birth of a Legend quotes

A biography movie was released in his name in 2016, featuring his life and what he had to endure to succeed at a young age. Here is a quote from the movie Birth of a Legend:

"You can't be ashamed of who you are."

What is a famous soccer quote by Maradona?

Ranked highly in the GOAT debate, Maradona was among the most talented footballers ever. One legendary quote he said was,

Former Juventus midfielder Stephen Appiah bemoans state of Ghana football, cries over neglect of legends

Football

"I made mistakes, I paid for them. But the ball is still pure."

He said this in 2001 during a testimonial.

What is a famous quote about Maradona?

Many players also shared an admiration for the star. One of the quotes by Lionel Messi goes,

"Even if I played for a million years, I'd never come close to Maradona. Not that I'd want to anyway. He's the greatest there's ever been."

Pele was one of the most legendary players the world has ever seen. He won three World Cups, which is a grand fete. However, he never won the Ballon d'Or, only because it was not available for him then. Enjoy some of his best quotes that inspire millions, if not billions, worldwide.

READ ALSO: Who are the 10 best South African footballers of all time?

Sports Brief also published a list of the ten best South African footballers ever. South Africa is known for producing some of the best footballers in Africa, with their league being one of the most successful on the continent. Their players impressed in the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa.

No repeat of Napoli thumping in Champions League derby, says Milan's Pioli

Football

So, who are the best players from South Africa? Click on the link above to learn more about the best South African footballers.