It is no secret to anyone that Pele and Garrincha managed to be the perfect duo wearing the jersey of Brazil. His magic on the field catapulted them to the top of the world soccer elite. However, there is an untold episode about the rivalry between these two Brazilian legends. Find out here.
In the football scene there are multiple pairs that managed to be world champions with their team. One of them was made up of Pelé and Garrincha, emblematic players of Brazil and of Latin American football in general.
Those who saw him play Garrincha, affirm that he was better than Pelé (Photo: Getty)
Although both lifted the most precious title in the world, the Brazilian fans have always valued Pelé and Garrincha in different ways in terms of sports. While, for some, Pelé was the greatest in Garota history, for others Garrincha was a higher position due to his humility before his own.
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PELÉ AND GARRINCHA
The main similarities between the two were clear: world champions, born winners and ball geniuses. Qualities that, curiously, Pele and Garrincha They used it differently.
And it is that while O’Rei strove to remain at the top of world football thanks to his game, Garrincha was more into parties, drinking and carnivals. In fact, during Pelé’s fame and heyday, a kind of sporting example began to be created that in Brazil was recognized from miles away. Case totally distant from that of “Mané”, who was already known for his extra-sports news plagued with alcohol.
Pelé is the greatest idol of Santos and Garrincha is the emblem of Botafogo (Photo: Soccer Nostalgia)
Of course, and something that every Brazilian recognizes, is that Garrincha was always loyal and consistent with his words, since he closely followed the working class all the time he played soccer professionally.
HOW WAS THE TENSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GARRINCHA AND PELÉ LIKE?
Some time ago, ESPN magazine published an interview in which Garrincha explained the intricate, difficult and complex relationship he had with Pelé. In it, the Brazilian legend also spoke about his start in soccer, his children and the dream of one day becoming a soccer coach.
However, the reference to Pelé is very striking, because when he was asked about the “alleged” visits by the 82-year-old star, Garrincha responded in this way: “Not at all! He (Pelé) is shameless, he became a star now.”
Clearly, this was a mockery of the relationship that the top star of Santos had at that time with the famous Xuxa, a rising singer from Brazil and that caused him several criticisms due to the age difference.
Pelé declared that he was never a close friend of Garrincha during the time they played professionally (Photo: Getty)
However, Pelé’s version is totally opposite to Mané Garrincha’s. According to what he told in the year 2000, the author of 767 goals at a professional level was never his friend, and he even confessed that the addiction of the greatest Botafogo legend reached incredible levels during the practices in the national team.
In this sense, Arantes do Nascimento also clarified that he never had a relationship beyond the professional level with Garrincha. “It is one of the things that makes me saddest. Everybody thinks we were great friends. In Europe they ask me even today about ‘my friend’ Garrincha. But I didn’t have any friendship with him.”maintained Pele.
HOW DID GARRINCHA DIED?
Despite having been a true legend in Brazil, Garrincha suffered the ravages of alcohol due to various infections of the pancreas and liver, leaving prematurely at the age of 49 in 1983.
Garrincha was considered the best dribbler of all time, above Pelé or Neymar (Photo: Getty Images)
His death was deeply felt in Brazil, being watched over by approximately 100,000 people. An icon in every sense of the word!
