Few would have imagined that the first meeting between Diego Maradona and Edson Arantes do Nascimiento (died on Thursday, December 29, 2022), better known as Pelé was given at the request of the Argentine soccer star himself. That April 9, 1979, the missing magazine El Gráfico together with both stars, the already consecrated Brazilian and the Argentine three years after having debuted.
Just over 41 years have passed since that wonderful moment at the Copacabana hotel in Rio de Janeiro. The mentor, the journalist Guillermo Blanco, who later revealed that it was Maradona himself who had confessed to him that one of his dreams was to meet the Brazilian star.
Years after that memorable meeting, Blanco revealed that Diego left for Brazil by plane, minutes after playing an Argentinos Juniors game. “Nobody knew anything, not even the president of Argentinos,” the journalist confessed.
Pelé, who at that time already had a marked career and was recognized worldwide, was in charge of leading the talk before a very young Maradona who he advised more than anything to take care of his body, be humble and control contracts very well.
It seems incredible that history has made that then, for years, both only disqualified each other whenever they could. The good thing is that in recent years, both managed to recover a friendly relationship that they maintained until today, when Pelé fired Diego with a more than emotional post: “… one day, I hope we can play soccer together in heaven.”
by RN
