For the Brazilian Sonny Anderson, ex-player of Barça and Lyon, impossible to compare Pelé with other players. The king is invincible.
Interview by Antoine Grenapin
Published on
– Modified
Dince the World Cup in 2018 and Pelé’s tribute on social networks, many observers believe that the world of football has finally found a successor to the “king” in the person of Kylian Mbappé. Their meeting the following year, on the initiative of a common sponsor, only reinforced this already widespread opinion. A comparison that takes on value after the disappearance at the age of 82 of King Pelé.
Comparisons that have never pleased Sonny Anderson. The ex-striker, who notably played for FC Barcelona and Lyon, insisted, in an interview he gave us in 2019, on the timeless nature of the performances of Pelé, triple world champion and voted “player of the century by FIFA. For Point, the BeIN Sport consultant looked into the legend’s legacy.
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Point : Who are for you the heirs of Pelé?
Sonny Anderson: In Brazil, it is impossible to compare him to other players. Pelé is and will remain the best player of all time for fans, specialists and all of Brazilian society. Players like Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, who have evolved to a very good level, have never managed to dethrone “the king”.
It’s a Brazilian point of view…
Inevitably, the vision is not identical abroad compared to Brazil. But there is no player who has come to this point to mark the history of football and transform it. In a time when it was very hard to break through, Pelé was always one step ahead of his contemporaries in play, effort and efficiency. I remember the passionate stories my father (editor’s note) told me about him.
“Unnecessary pressure for Mbappé”
Since 2018 and the victory of the Blues at the World Cup, many observers have seen Mbappé as his designated successor. Not your opinion?
I don’t like this comparison at all. If so, we won’t be able to find out until Mbappé’s career is over. Admittedly, what he demonstrates may suggest that he will be a great player. It is undeniable that he is a striker who does not lack talent. But no career is uniform: he will face obstacles and difficulties to overcome like all players. I don’t think it’s very useful to add that pressure to Mbappé.
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What about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi?
Admittedly, these are the two great players of our time, so much so that it is difficult to identify who is the better of the two. They are very talented and it’s normal to be in awe of what they do. But again, the times are different. They mark theirs as Maradona or Platini did before them. In each era, there are talents that emerge in spectacular fashion. In France, we feared the post-Platini period and finally, salvation came from Zidane…
At no time do you mention Neymar…
The question arose in Brazil, especially during its young years. He was a prodigy as we rarely saw and he had made his professional debut at Santos, where Pelé had evolved for the most part. But I doubt he could ever have the same stature as Pelé.