Tag Archives: New York Cosmos

Lionel Messi Moves Past Pele to Become the New Leader in the Single Club Goal Tally

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Lionel Messi has overtaken a legend…

The 33-year-old Argentine professional soccer star has surpassed Brazil’s legendary footballer Pele to become the player to score the most goals for a single club after taking his tally to 644 on Tuesday.

Lionel Messi

The record-breaking goal came in the second half of Barca‘s 3-0 win at Valladolid, with Messi taking the ball in stride off a nifty flick from Pedri for a finish into the corner of the net.

Pele struck 643 competitive goals for Santos during an 18-year stay with the Brazilian club. He left for the New York Cosmos in 1975 and until Messi’s goal, the record had stood ever since.

 

Gerd Muller came closest to matching Pele’s one-club goal-scoring feat. The former Germany international netted 565 times for Bayern Munich between 1964 and 1979. The top five is completed by Fernando Peyroteo (Sporting CP 1937-49, 544 goals) and Josef Bican (Slavia Prague 1950s, 534 goals).

 

“When I started to play football, I never thought I would break any record. Especially not the record held by Pele that I now hold,” Messi wrote on Instagram after Tuesday’s game. “I can only give thanks to everyone that has helped me throughout the years, my teammates, my family, my friends and everyone that supports me every day.”

 

The only other active player still in the top 10 is Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 450 goals for Real Madrid. The Juventus striker is 10th behind Jimmy McGrory (Celtic 1922-37, 522 goals), Jimmy Jones (Glenavon 1951-62, 517 goals), Uwe Seeler (Hamburg 1953-72, 507 goals) and Eusebio (Benfica 1961-75, 473 goals).

Messi’s Barcelona goals have been spread across 16 years in the club’s first team. He scored his first professional goal in 2005 against Albacete as a 17-year-old.

Along with Ronaldo, who played for Manchester United before Madrid and Juve, Messi has taken goal scoring to new heights over the past decade. Everyone else in the top 10 has been retired for at least 40 years.

Messi reached his zenith in the 2011-12 season, Pep Guardiola‘s final year in charge of Barcelona, when he scored 73 goals in all competitions. That tally was sandwiched in between 53 the previous season and 60 the season after.

The Argentina forward has scored more than 50 goals in a season on six occasions, including 58 in 2014-15 when he won his second Treble as a Barca player.

Messi replaced Cesar Rodriguez (232 goals) as Barca’s top scorer in 2012 and overtook Telmo Zarra (251 league goals) as the record scorer in La Liga in 2014.

In addition to his 644 goals with Barca’s senior side, he scored 11 goals for the C team and the B team as a teenager.

Brazil Unveils Statue of Pele to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of 1970 World Cup Win

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Pele’s likeness will live on forever…

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has unveiled a statue of the 79-year-old futbol living legend at its headquarters, the first of a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the team’s third World Cup triumph.

Pele

Pele, who will be 80 in October and finds it difficult to walk, wasn’t present at the ceremony in the CBF’s museum but had been given a preview of the statue, which he declared “perfect.”

Jairzinho, Clodoaldo and Brito were among members of the 1970 team present at the ceremony along with Brazil coach Tite.

Pele Statue

The 1970 Brazil side, led by Pele and featuring names like Gerson, Tostao, Rivelinoand Carlos Alberto, is known as one of the greatest teams of all time. They won all seven of their matches in Mexico that June, culminating with a 4-1 over Italy in the final at the Aztec stadium.

The statue of Pele, dressed in the strip worn by the 1970 team, bears a close resemblance to the former Santos and New York Cosmosstriker.

Many of Pele’s recent appearances have been in a wheelchair as his health has slowly deteriorated.

His son Edinho said in an interview in February that the Brazil legend is depressed over his poor health and reluctant to leave the house because he cannot walk unaided.

Pele Teaming with Bunim/Murray Productions for Scripted TV Series Based on His Life

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Pele is ready to shine a light on his legendary life…

The 76-year-old soccer legend and his manager Paul “PK” Kemsley are teaming with Bunim/Murray Productions for a scripted limited series based on the Brazilian fútbol star’s life.

Pele

The untitled program will focus on his life in New York while playing for the NASL’s New York Cosmos alongside other international footballers in the mid-1970s.

Considered arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, Pelé (née Edson Arantes do Nascimento) and Kemsley will executive produce the series with Bunim/Murray CEO Gil Goldschein and Jeff Jenkins, BMP’s Co-President of Entertainment & Development. No time frame for production has been announced.

“Growing up playing soccer competitively and now coaching my kids’ teams, I have always admired Pelé and aspired to share his story and approached PK about doing this series,” Goldschein said. “As soccer continues to gain legions of fans around the world, now is the right time to delve into and dramatize his story. Pelé’s talent, humility and charisma make him an outstanding role model, and we anticipate that this series will have mass global appeal.”

After joining Brazil’s national team at 16, Pelé led them to FIFA World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He was named World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics and Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee, Since retiring in 1977, Pelé has been a global ambassador for soccer and was named the Honorary President of the New York Cosmos in 2010.

“Bunim/Murray has an amazing track record for creating revolutionary TV shows, and it was clear to me that we share a passion for Pelé and soccer,” Kemsley said. “I have no doubt they will capture the magic that was New York City in the late ’70s and also honor the legacy of one of the greatest athletes this planet has ever known.”