Pele Labelled 82k-Seater British Stadium as the ‘Cathedral’ and ‘Heart’ of Football
The names Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been intertwined in the battle for the esteemed GOAT title for quite some time, and their exploits in modern football have placed them at the forefront of the minds of fans of the sport. However, the legacies of some iconic stars that preceded the duo have been overshadowed as a result, including that of Brazilian great Pele.
A three-time World Cup winner, the forward's glittering career was rubberstamped with a remarkable 762 return for official career goals - a feat which places him among the very best goalscorers in history.
Pele toured the world in his best years, and that, of course, led him to some of the finest stadiums in the 20th century. He lifted his first World Cup at the Rasunda Stadium in Sweden in 1958, and lifted his other two in Chile and Mexico, but he gave the title of the "heart of football" to a special ground in a different country.
Pele Named Old Wembley the 'Heart of Football'
The ground was home to the England national team for 77 years
A staple in English football history, the original Wembley Stadium was built in 1923, and it would go on to host some of the biggest events in a multitude of sports throughout the 20th century. Football was often the primary attraction though, and Pele went as far as to say:
"Wembley is the cathedral of football. It is the capital of football and it is the heart of football."
Indeed, in addition to the annual FA Cup and League Cup finals, Wembley was the venue for a World Cup final in 1966, a Euros final in 1996 and a total of five European Cup finals.
It was, and still is, home turf for the England national team - and anyone who was present at the time will struggle to forget the memory of Bobby Moore lifting the gold World Cup trophy on the shoulders of his teammates in the bounds of Wembley in 1966.
For someone of Pele's stature to shed such high words of praise on the stadium speaks to its prestige as one of the most iconic stadiums in football history.
The old Wembley was demolished between 2002 and 2003, to make way for the modern ground we see today, which seats up to 90,000 people - an 8k jump from its predecessor.
Pele's Record at English Stadiums
The Brazilian never once played at Wembley
Pele’s glowing praise for Wembley is even more remarkable considering he never actually played a match there. His first appearance at the ground was as a spectator, when the Three Lions locked horns with Brazil in an international friendly in 1963. The forward was recovering from an injury, and was forced to sit out.
He later returned to England for the 1966 World Cup, his eyes set on a third consecutive World Cup title. Pele netted his nation's first goal of the tournament against Bulgaria, but his efforts were ultimately meaningless as his side crashed out in the group stages following losses to Hungary and Portugal.
Outside of Wembley, Pele stepped foot on English turf a total of six times, and it was alongside his club teammates at Santos on these occasions. The Brazilian outfit faced off with Sheffield Wednesday twice in 1962 and 1972, as well as Stoke City, Aston Villa, Fulham and Plymouth Argyle between 1969 and 1973.
There's little Pele didn't manage to do in his decorated 21-year career, but he did not hesitate with his answer in an interview when he was asked about what he regretted most:
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