Pelé, Maradona remain legends at their former clubs

Still a fixture with his club, Diego Maradona will forever be known as the biggest legend to ever don a Boca Juniors jersey. AP

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Whenever the two greatest soccer players of all-time set foot in the same country these days, it seems like it's for some luxurious awards ceremony.

For decades, Diego Maradona and Pelé have been congratulated for everything they have given to the sport. They've won numerous awards of excellence, and they continue to be treated as guests of honor by clubs and organizations from all around the world that still recognize their achievements.

This week, they find themselves in Mexico, the same country where both former players excelled as they helped their respective nations lift the World Cup trophy decades ago. Both men were invited to watch their former clubs compete in first-rate Copa Libertadores action against Mexican opposition.

On Tuesday, Maradona watched as Boca Juniors suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Atlas in Guadalajara, severely hurting their chances of reaching the next round of the Libertadores.

The Argentines could still be eliminated from the first round of the competition even with a victory over UA Maracaibo in their final group-stage match (other results need to go their way as well).

Meanwhile, Pelé will attend the highly anticipated clash between Santos and Chivas in the same city on Wednesday. With one point from its match at the Jalisco stadium, Santos will seal qualification to the next round. Mexican bank Santander, the official sponsor of the Libertadores, will pay homage to the Brazilian before the match begins.

Upon their arrival to the land of the Aztecs, both soccer greats must have had very fond memories. For Pelé, it was the place where he guided Brazil to the 1970 World Cup in sensational fashion. "The King" scored four goals in the tournament, including a sublime header in a 4-1 win over Italy in the final at the Estadio Azteca.

Maradona also made his mark on Mexico, scoring five times in seven matches as Argentina won its second World Cup in '86. The incredibly gifted attacking midfielder was by far the best player in the tournament, and it was also on this stage, and in front of 115,000 fans, where he scored arguably the two most significant goals in World Cup history: the "Hand of God" and the "Goal of the Century" in the 2-1 quarterfinal victory over England.

Since their retirement, there has been heated debate as to who was the better player of the two. Obviously the Argentines point to Maradona, while the Brazilians "know" it was Pelé. The rest of the world has mixed views -- it's difficult to tell who was actually better because they played during different eras.

Despite the rivalry, both are widely recognized as the two greatest players of all time, not only in their respective countries, but throughout the world. FIFA has also made comparisons between the two, but can never decide who was the better player.

This has led to much discussion over the years, and the fierce rivalry between both players is also a reason why they are still as popular as ever, and are regularly in the media spotlight.

But even though they have packed agendas, at heart, they're still devoted soccer fans and always find the time to support the teams they follow. Maradona has always identified himself with Argentina's most popular club, Boca Juniors, where he triumphed in '81 and '82 and again from '95-97.

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