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Football's Greatest Number 10 Final: Vote For Lionel Messi Or Pele As The Finest Player To Pull On The Famous Shirt

The Huffington Post UK  |  By Posted: 5/04/2012 17:14 Updated: 13/04/2012 15:16

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It's the Battle of South America in our final of football's greatest number 10 competition.

Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane were both seen off in the last four, with the former's compatriot Lionel Messi defeating his forefather while Brazilian Pele beat the latter.

So we have finally reached the clasico stage between two diminutive heavyweights, but it's up to you to decide whether Argentina or Brazil takes the crown.

Cast your votes in the final round below and we will announce who the greatest is next week.

POLL NOW CLOSED!

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It's the Battle of South America in our final of football's greatest number 10 competition. Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane were both seen off in the last four, with the former's compatriot Lion...
It's the Battle of South America in our final of football's greatest number 10 competition. Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane were both seen off in the last four, with the former's compatriot Lion...
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theawesomejamie
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34 Fans
 
10:46 AM on 04/08/2012
Both outstanding, but both have one similarity - the teams they played in and achieved most success with are the best teams of their generations. The Brazil team Pele was part of were unreal, as are Barca. It's hard to decide because without the supporting cast, the star couldn't shine.

I've gone for Pele in this vote but in my eyes Maradonna is probably the greatest ever, closely followed by Zidane. Maradonna for his raw passion, skill and persona. Zidane is the greatest football artist that ever lived, everything looked completely effortless and easy, and his technique was sublime.
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wellchilled161
30 Fans
04:58 PM on 04/06/2012
Tough one to call so early in messi's career Pele was majestic to watch and had a superb aproach to the game as well as world cup winners medals to boot the only slight i have on pele is the teams he played with at international level were truly awseome, i think he might have struggled in the preant days game but saying that true quality would still shine. Maradonna was superb apart from the hand of god goal his other that day was brilliant. Messi has time on his side but i feel his fellow international players will not measure up which will hold his world cup tally back.
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JamesDeanRWAC
1 Fans
02:46 PM on 04/06/2012
I read a fantastic blog/article called: 'Lionel Messi: The Greatest Ever or an Overrated, "Over-hyped", Beneficiary of the Modern Globalised Media?', which explains exactly why Messi is so overrated. A great read for anyone interested in this debate. Google it
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
beenzrgud
Can't say what I'd like to here.
201 Fans
11:22 AM on 04/06/2012
Between Messi and Pele I'd have to go with Pele. Messi is still a young man and could well go on to become the greatest, but for career achievement Pele is a hard act to follow. Also Pele has always been a great ambassador for the sport.
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Luuke
345 Fans
10:46 AM on 04/06/2012
Maradona and then the rest (best,Messi,Pele....)
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tali tali
0 Fans
09:19 AM on 04/06/2012
It's an insult to compare Pele with Messi who has never even won a world cup medal.
Success in club football (with Barcelona) doesn't make you the best player in the world.
Pele and Maradona have one thing in common: they have both won the world cup.
Lionel Messi has won naught.
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sak thi
0 Fans
07:59 AM on 04/06/2012
Pele the best man.He is the goal machine gun.He doesn't just fall down frequently like the messi does everytime. Before you comment,please go and analyse both the players fairly k.Don't favor k.Pele is the legend.Messi is the great player.I can say from the game Messi played that,he just play to score but not to create a new football.Pele made the new era of football,Ronaldinho combo new tactics and skills.To tell the truth,Messi cant even be like Ronaldinho k.But people want to compare to a legend........Please be practical and not influencial when comparing. All hail PELEE.........
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Luuke
345 Fans
03:04 PM on 04/06/2012
Are you 70 years ??
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ajb3177
0 Fans
03:58 AM on 06/05/2012
you do know that pele's statistics are a myth. his 1200 some goals are actually 750, one of this world cups he didnt even play 2 full games worth. the two world cups he did actually win he scored 5 goals overall and didnt play a huge part. in his world cups he had 9 other players he played with that are classified as in the top 50 of all time and at least 6 in the team per cup. his strike partners at santos had similar scoring ratios but didnt stay at santos as long. they went to europe and couldnt score nearly as many goals. pele was great and overall his legacy is still better than messi's and messi has to prove himself over the next 4 years minimum and carry his national team to at least something to be better than pele. but to worship pele like that is foolish. pele is maybe 2/3 as good as many claim at best
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MayoGalway
74 Fans
07:57 AM on 04/06/2012
I agree its nonsense to even vote. Messi is only 24. Pele, the acknowledged, greatest ever played in an entirely different era as Seaniebhoy stated.
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Seaniebhoy
298 Fans
04:04 PM on 04/06/2012
Up Mayo...the best in the west!
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Seaniebhoy
298 Fans
08:15 PM on 04/05/2012
This is stupid...you simply cannot compare the two games let alone the two player. When Pele played EVRYTHING was different, the ball, the boots, the pitch, the formations, the tactics...it's an entirely new game now than it was then.
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jacksdad41
Quant Je Puis
167 Fans
 
05:47 PM on 04/05/2012
I believe Maradona - good, Pele - great, George - Best.
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Seaniebhoy
298 Fans
08:15 PM on 04/05/2012
Nobody ever mentions DiStefano, Esuebio or Puskas
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JamesDeanRWAC
1 Fans
02:51 PM on 04/06/2012
I read a fantastic blog/article called: 'Lionel Messi: The Greatest Ever or an Overrated, "Over-hyped", Beneficiary of the Modern Globalised Media?', which explains exactly why Messi is so overrated. A great read for anyone interested in this debate and that does discuss Puskas, Pele, Maradona and the greats from yesteryear. I think you'll like it Seaniebhoy
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