Pele has led a wave of tributes for Diego Maradona following the Argentine’s passing, aged 60.
The 1986 World Cup winner suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Tigre on Wednesday, where he was recovering from recent brain surgery.
And as news spread around the world, tributes started to pour in for the former player who brought so much happiness to fans, including Brazilian legend Pele, who admitted his sadness at the passing of fellow legend Maradona.
“[It’s sad] to lose friends this way,” Pele said. “Certainly one day we’ll kick a ball together in the sky above.”
While Gary Lineker added that Maradona was the greatest player of his generation.
“Reports from Argentina that Diego Armando Maradona has died,” said the former England striker. "By some distance the best player of my generation and arguably the greatest of all time.
“After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he’ll finally find some comfort in the hands of God.”
Former opponent Franco Baresi expressed his sadness at the news, with both players competing in Serie A for many years.
He said: “My heart is hurting, it was an honour to compete against you, you had a big heart, you will continue to create magic and provide joy and emotion forever, Ciao Diego.”
While Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher maintains he has never seen anybody read the heights of Maradona since his legendary performance at the 1986 World Cup.
Carragher wrote: “I’ll never forget watching Diego Maradona as an 8-year-old at the World Cup in Mexico. Never seen anything like it on that stage since. Sad news.”
