I love you Diego: Pele pays tribute to fellow football legend Maradona

“I love you, Diego”, wrote Pele in his
social media handles on both Facebook and Instagram on Thursday, a tribute to
his ‘great friend’ Diego Maradona nearly a week after the Footballing legend
passed away, reported AFP.

Pele’s tribute follows a Brazilian custom,
where homage to the deceased is offered seven days after their death, when a ‘seventh-day
mass’ is celebrated by Catholics like Pele.

Also read: Argentina bids final farewell to favourite son Maradona

“The world would be much better if
we could compare each other less and start admiring each other more. So, I want
to say that you are beyond comparison,” the three-time World Cup winner
wrote on his social media handles on Thursday.

The post accompanies several photos of the
two, with one picture displaying a young Maradona smiling next to Pele as the
latter plays a guitar.

“Your journey was marked by honesty. You
have always declared your loves and dislikes to the four winds,” wrote the
Brazilian icon in the caption.

Pele further stated in the caption how
Maradona, in his own unique way, “taught us to love and say ‘I love you’ a lot
more often.”

“Your quick departure didn’t let me
say it to you, so I will just write: I love you, Diego”, the Brazilian wrote.

Also read: Maradona possessed ‘greatness not sportsmanship’, says former England keeper Peter Shilton

In one of the most interesting and
time-defying rivalries ever, Pele and Maradona, without ever playing in the
same era, existed as rival figures from two South American countries in the
minds of football fans the world over.

This rivalry was taken a notch above at
the turn of the millennium, when, in 2000, Pele was crowned ‘The player of the
Century’ by FIFA while Maradona won the public vote.

“One day in heaven we will play
together in the same team. And it will be the first time that I will raise my
fist to the sky not to celebrate a goal, but because I can finally embrace you
again.”, ended Pele.