The ghosts of Pelé and Maradona

Messi, Neymar, Maradona, and Pelé

With the group stage over, the real fun part of the World Cup tournament begins, the knock-out rounds. The focus will most undoubtedly be on two players: Brazil's Neymar and Argentina's Messi. Both players are the talismans for their respective nations, they have four goals each at the end of the group stage. There are other good players left in these year's tournament, but these two will have the most pressure on them to win the World Cup.

Messi has dominated world football for the past five years, winning four Balon D'Or or World Footballer of the Year honours. He has won Spanish league, King's Cup, Champions league, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, and World Cup titles with Barcelona multiple times and he has one all six in one calendar cycle. However, for all his accolades, the World Cup has eluded him and the comparisons to Maradona will never be put to rest until he has. Statistically speaking, Lionel Messi has surpassed Diego Maradona. Maradona scored 259 senior goals in league play and 34 goals for Argentina while Messi has scored 243 goals in league play and 42 goals for Argentina. Maradona has one thing that Messi does not ... a World Cup title. Diego carried Argentina to a World Cup title at Mexico 86, defeating West Germany in the final.

Diego and Lionel

Diego's cult status is legendary, to the point that he inspired a religion, la iglesia Maradoniana (The Maradonian Church). To dethrone a pseudo-deity, Messi has to perform some of the same miracles his countryman performed back in 1986. Personally, I think a lot Maradona's status was also political. The win against England was highly politically-charged in Argentina over the dispute and subsequent war with England over the Falkland Islands (islas Malvinas) in 1982. Since he scored the two goals to defeat England, one being the infamous "Hand of God" and the other considered "The Greatest Goal of the Twentieth Century", he not only became a footballing hero, but a national hero who had avenged the Argentinian deaths during the Falklands War.

O Rei and Neymar

Neymar is also fighting the ghosts of his nation's past superstars. Brazil has had legendary footballers over the years like Ronaldo, Romario, Socrates, Zico, and Zizinho, but none are bigger than O Rei, Pelé. Pelé's seleção brasileira won three titles in 1958, 1962, and 1970. Similarly to Maradona, Pelé is a national hero. Although he hasn't founded a religion, he was a symbol of social change in Brazil. The 1950 Brazilian squad, led by Zizinho and Ademir was supposed to demonstrate to the world a new Brazil with racial and class equality. This squad was supposed to be the embodiment of the nation's social and footballing ambitions. Unfortunately, Brazil was defeated by Uruguay in the championship game, known as O Maracanaço, named because it was played in Estádio do Maracanã. This squad's players were never invited back to a seleção, and it wasn't until 1958 that the nation was able to exorcize their demons and prove to themselves that a squad comprised of all facets of Brazilian society can succeed.

Barça friends

This is Neymar's first World Cup and the comparisons to Pelé have already started. Both Neymar and Pelé played for Santos Futebol Clube, but unlike Pelé, Neymar made the move to Europe and plays alongside Messi at Barcelona.

In my opinion, it's unfair to compare Neymar and Pelé. Pelé was the greatest player in the world alongside squads that were considered among, if not, the greatest squads to ever have played football. As strong as Brazil is now, Neymar doesn't have playmakers like Gérson and Jairzinho on his squad and so far in the group stage, he has to do the bulk of the work for his nation offensively. Even if Neymar were to deliver his nation's sixth title, the comparisons to Pelé will never end.


It's very possible for Argentina and Brazil to face one another in the final this year, and it would be something special to see one of these two players finally put their respective critics to rest. For this to happen, either one will have to carry their respective teams on their shoulder and carry them to victory.

Neymar's Brazil will have to defeat Chile, either Colombia or Uruguay, and probably France or Germany to reach the finals. On the other side, Argentina will have to defeat Switzerland, either Belgium or the Unites States, and probably Netherlands to reach the final.

Head-to-head, Messi and Neymar are almost identical, statistics-wise. They are their respective nation's crowning jewel and it will be up to the "supporting cast" to make the difference if they were to reach the finals. Players like Oscar, Hulk, David Luiz, and Thiago Silva will have to contribute offensively and defensively for Brazil to win. For Messi, he will need Agüero, Di María, and Mascherano to also be defensive and offensive catalysts. Will this be their World Cup to shine or will the ghosts of Pelé and Maradona continue to cast a shadow on them?